Man seeks clean criminal record

After 26 years on the run ...

Ajudge threatened to have a man who was charged with fraudulent conversion in 1991 spend Christmas in jail.

Elsewooth Cummings, who the judge said has been hiding in plain sight for 26 years, turned up in court last Friday hoping to leave with a clean criminal record. However, he was taken into custody.

The court heard that a warrant was issued for Cummings in 1991 after he stopped attending court before his matter was concluded. His lawyer said his client told him that the case was adjourned sine die.

Judge Chester Crooks ordered him to be taken into custody and threatened to have him spend the Christmas in prison.

“Give yourself as much time to locate the file. He is going to spend Christmas in custody,” judge Crooks told the clerk of the court.

However, his lawyer begged for an earlier date, but the judge was adamant on having Cummings spend Christmas in prison.

“He tricked you. He is not going to trick me. He has been at large since 1991 and you can’t tell me that just because he wants a clean record, he can now come back and ask the same court that issued a warrant for your arrest to wipe your criminal record clean, now that you believe that the Crown is most likely not in a position to find the files,” he said.

“The complainants must be very disgusted with the justice system because they didn’t get justice,” he continued.

However, after a discussion with the prosecutor, a mention date was set for this Tuesday.