When Dennis Williams decided to steal a cellphone from a woman's bag, little did he expect to spend time in the lock-up. The accused was remanded when he appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court, yesterday.

Williams, who pleaded guilty to larceny from the person, said that the phone he stole was left carelessly on a store counter.

The complainant told the court that she was downtown in a store when Williams approached her and slit her handbag and stole her phone and $3,000. The complainant said that she caught up with Williams and retrieved her phone, but she did not get back her money. "Your Honour, when mi ketch him, I collar him up, I grab him and a box him three times and demanded my money."

The accused, however, gave a different story, saying that he went into the store to purchase a few items when he saw the phone on the counter and took it. "Your Honour, I took the phone but I did not take her $3,000."

Senior Resident Magistrate Glen Brown did not believe his story and asked the accused to show his hands.

"Show me your hands," said RM Glen Brown. "Those are the hands of a pickpocket."

Williams was remanded until October 8 when the matter will again be mentioned.