by Carolyn Johnson, Freelance Writer

It appeared as if Courtney Reid was not sure if he was guilty of the crime for which he was charged when he appeared in court.

The 34-year-old driver of East Bourne Road, Kingston 2, appeared before Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's court yesterday to answer to charges of obtaining money by false pretence.

Reports are that Reid, who works with Island Grill, was charged on November 17, 2006 after he was accused of pretending to collect more than $480,000 worth of fuel with an Advance card for a motor truck that was assigned to him.

When he was asked to plead, Reid first pleaded not guilty, yet the court files showed that he had confessed to the police about the offence and had started repaying the company. When RM Pusey asked why he was paying for a crime he did not commit, Reid was speechless. But after sitting in the dock for some minutes, Reid later changed his plea to guilty. He will return to court on August 21, for sentencing, by which time he should have completed payment.