PHONE THIEF FINED $200,000 AFTER GRABBING $40,000 SAMSUNG

After grabbing $40,000 Samsung

A phone thief was yesterday slapped with a $200,000 fine after he pleaded guilty to grabbing a $40,000 Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone.

The man, Ricardo Ricketts, 25, of Portmore St Catherine, grabbed a woman's phone in 'Sunshine City' while she was using it to make a call.

If he fails to pay the $200,000, Ricketts will have to spend 30 days in prison.

Ricketts, who plead guilty in March, was sentenced by Parish Judge Tara Reid-Kerr in the St Catherine Parish Court yesterday.

The court heard that about 5:50 a.m. on March 7, 2016, the woman was at a bus stop at Braeton Parkway in Portmore St Catherine.

She was making a call from her Galaxy Samsung S4 Smartphone, which is valued at $40,000.

Rickets crept up from behind, grabbed the phone and ran off.

But when the complainant shouted "tief! tief!", passers-by chased him down and caught him. He was then handed over to the police who charged him with larceny from the person.