Repeat offender sentenced to 2 years for theft of student’s electronics

Krishna Dindial, a 41-year-old resident of Good Fortune, West Bank Demerara (WBD), has been sentenced to 24 months in prison after pleading guilty to stealing an Apple iPhone and a Lenovo laptop valued at over $500,000.
The ruling was handed down by Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Monday, following Dindial’s third appearance in court for similar offences in as many years.

The theft took place on November 20, at Camp and Thomas Lands, Georgetown. According to police reports, the victim, a student at Queen’s College, had placed his haversack on the school’s pavilion while playing cricket.
The bag, which contained his phone and laptop, was taken during the game. The student discovered the theft shortly after and used a tracking device to locate his phone. The stolen items were traced to a residence in Good Fortune, WBD, linked to Dindial’s family.
Police later recovered the items after Dindial admitted to taking the bag and returned the belongings to the victim. In court, Dindial explained that he had been cleaning the grounds at the time and claimed he stumbled upon the bag.
“I found the bag while cleaning and took it home,” he told the Magistrate. However, the prosecution dismissed his explanation, arguing that his behaviour reflected deliberate intent to steal.
The prosecution strongly objected to bail, citing Dindial’s history as a repeat offender and the seriousness of the crime. They emphasised that Dindial had a pattern of committing larceny and that allowing him bail posed a risk. The prosecution further argued that while the items were recovered, Dindial’s repeated offences demonstrated his disregard for the law and made leniency inappropriate.
In 2022, Dindial had been convicted of a similar offence and served a one-year prison sentence. In 2023, he was fined $80,000 for another larceny charge, which he paid to avoid imprisonment. The Magistrate stated that Dindial’s pattern of committing theft each year demonstrated a lack of rehabilitation and respect for the law.
He was sentenced to two years in prison as per Section 164 of the Criminal Offences Act, Chapter 8:01. (G9)