Gambling addict begs to be rehabilitated

A 62-year-old man who admitted to having a gambling problem yesterday pleaded with Senior Parish Judge Lori-Anne Cole-Montaque to be rehabilitated.

Donald Miller shared with the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court that his addiction started years ago when he lived overseas and found himself spending hours in casinos. The habit continued when he returned to Jamaica.

"Some of these gambling places in Jamaica need to close down. I am working and as soon as me get my pay, straight into gambling me go. I don't smoke or drink," Miller said. He pleaded guilty to a charge of simple larceny following an incident on April 12. It was reported by the complainant that he was conducting repairs on a Honda CR-V at a business complex on Hillcrest Avenue in St Andrew. His Toyota Hiace motor vehicle was parked beside the Honda. He indicated that his cell phones were left inside the vehicle. When the complainant completed the repairs and was driving when he noticed that his Samsung Galaxy Note 10+, valued at $110,000, was missing. The Hiace is equipped with surveillance camera which showed Miller opening the front door and removing the phone. Miller also admitted to having previous convictions for larceny and being armed with an offensive weapon.

"This is not about punishment Your Honour, this is about rehabilitation. I have a habit that need to correct. I am struggling and I lost a lot of money," Miller begged.

"You can humbly say to me 'Judge, I would like some help and I would not want you to focus too heavily on punishing me on the retributive effects of sentencing but the rehabilitative effects'," the senior judge instructed. But again, Miller, a father of six adult children, echoed his plea for rehabilitation. A community report was requested by Cole-Montaque and Miller is to undergo an interview with officers of the Probation Department. It was related to the court that the complainant's cell phone was not recovered and Miller admitted that he sold it for $27,000 to a man he knows as 'Tony' in Half-Way Tree. Miller was remanded in custody until July 21, pending sentencing.

- T.T.