Zephaniah 'Zephi' Wright, 34, of Sanguinetti in Clarendon, who pleaded guilty for stealing a cow when he appeared before Resident Magistrate (RM) Desrene Allayne in the Mandeville Resident Magistrate's Court on December 19, is to return to court on March 6, for sentencing.

When he appeared in court on January 30, Wright, who should have been sentenced was not because RM Allayne was told that family members were putting funds to the tune of $120,000 to pay the complainant.

With this assurance from Wright, the judge decided to delay sentencing, and to await the payment. The farmer's cow was stolen by Wright in early December, and sold to a purchaser at Mile Gully in Manchester.

The Spaldings police who investigated the matter reported that Wright was not the only one behind the stealing of the animal, as a woman who uses a number of different names including 'Violet Burton-Johnson' and 'Rose Richards' was said to be the mastermind behind a cow stealing ring, and other crimes committed in sections of Clarendon and Manchester.

The police also reported that this theft was the fifth reported case of cow stealing committed in the Sanguinetti community during the period. Several goats were also reported stolen from the community over several weeks.