BELIZE CITY, Mon. Nov. 12, 2018– Edward Quilter, 52, a laborer of Ladyville with vision only in his right eye, was sentenced to 6 years in prison today by Senior Magistrate Aretha Ford after she found him guilty of breaking into Ladyville Evangelical Primary School.

Quilter has six previous convictions for similar offences.

The incident occurred around 8:30 p.m. on April 28, 2018. Police Constable Francisco Montejo testified that upon receiving information of a break-in at the school, he proceeded to the school and when he arrived there he heard a noise coming from the school building.

He said he took out his flashlight and spotted a vacant space where it seemed that a window had been removed. He then saw Quilter inside and Quilter raised his hands and said, “Don’t hurt me.”

He said he escorted Quilter to the Ladyville Police Station, where he read him his constitutional rights before he charged him with burglary.

After the prosecutor, Police Sergeant Macedonio Sanchez, closed his case, Senior Magistrate Ford told Quilter that it was now his turn to answer to the charge and defend himself. She explained to Quilter that he had three rights: the right to testify from the witness stand, the right to give a statement from where he was, and the right to remain silent.

She also explained to Quilter that if he testified, she and Sergeant Sanchez would be able to ask him questions, but if he gave a statement from the dock they would not be able to question him.

Quilter chose to remain silent, and thereby, he sealed his fate. It turned out that Quilter had removed the window from the school’s Infant 1 classroom and he was caught before he could steal anything.