7 News Belize

A Turkey Theft In Lemonal
posted (January 6, 2012)
Earlier this week two men were taken to court - accused of a stabbing in Lemonal village. It was a mundane court report, but we figured, we'd look more closely at the story since the stabbing was allegedly motivated by the theft of a live turkey on New Year's Eve.

That sound like New Year's Day lunch! - and Monica Bodden skipped her lunch to skip out to Lemonal to find out more. Here's her report.

Thomas Sutherland - Watchman
"Every time I see my turkey, the turkey is around here."

Monica Bodden
"And the morning that you got up?"

Thomas Sutherland - Watchman
"I didn't see the turkey. The turkey was missing when I got up."

Monica Bodden
"You told me that the turkey is usually sitting down on this truck right?"

Thomas Sutherland
"On the pick-up to the turkey is always sleeping."

Monica Bodden
"And that morning you didn't see anything?"

Thomas Sutherland
"I didn't see anything when I got up because is white, you could see it on the pick-up."

Monica Bodden
"What size turkey? Was it a good size?"

Thomas Sutherland
"It was a good size turkey, bigger than that one."

Monica Bodden
"When you notice that the turkey was missing, that was when Mr. Tom the owner of the place came?"

Thomas Sutherland
"Yes when he came because he lives in Belize City. I told him Tom the turkey is missing."

Monica Bodden
"That was when he began looking for his turkey in the village?"

Thomas Sutherland
"Yes."

Monica Bodden reporting
Thomas Sutherland is one of the watchmen of this property which belongs to Tom Antonio in Lemonal Village. When he woke up on New Year's Day, he noticed that his boss's prized turkey had gone missing from the farm, and quickly informed him.

But the night before - which was New Year's Eve, Orlando Banner, of the same village said he was playing cards at a resident up the street from where the bird went missing - when Harrisson Banner, visited the house and allegedly told everyone that he had just stolen a plump turkey.

Orlando Banner - Accused of Stabbing
"I was inside playing cards myself and Mr. Wiley and some friends and we came outside to smoke cigarettes. My niece ask me to call her father and so I was on the phone with him and from there we went back inside the house, but before we went inside this young man came and told us that he have a big fat turkey that he stole."

Monica Bodden
"This young man is Harrisson, the one who is accusing you of stabbing him in the abdomen."

Orlando Banner
"Yes his name is Harrisson Banner, he said that he has a big fat turkey out there and I told him "don't come here with that. We are not those type of person, don't bring those kind of things to us.""

Monica Bodden
"He told you that he just stole the turkey?"

Orlando Banner
"He told us he just stole the turkey and Brain Anthony was right there on the scene when he came and told us that. I told him to move away from here with that."

Orlando Banner claims that Harrisson Banner left the house and was seen searching for the bird in the bushes. He then came back to the house where an altercation broke out between him and Orlando Banner.

Orlando Banner
"I turned around talking to Brian Anthony, this guy came up close to the stairs, I didn't know that he is into problems or thing like that and hits me on my nose, I fell backwards on an exercise machine and my cap flew off backwards, when I see he coming at me I push him down the stairs because it was not a high house. When I push him down the stairs he pick up some rock stone and wanted to hit me with it, so I ran inside and told Mr. Wiley that this man hands is full of stones that he wanted to hit me with. He punched me for nothing and so Mr. Wiley come outside and told him to go because he is looking for problems. He told him to go home. He went and after he went me and Mrs. Wiley came outside with a bright light looking for the turkey, we found it and I told her to leave it right there because as soon as morning comes I will call the police to pick up the bird and take it."

Monica Bodden
"So the turkey was already dead?"

Orlando Banner
"Yes."

Orlando Banner didn't get a chance to call the police, because the cops showed up at his house early New Year's morning after Harrisson Banner reported that Orlando held him and allowed his nephew 22 year old Sheldon Coleman to stab him in his abdomen.

34 year old Orlando Banner and his nephew Sheldon Coleman were both charged in the Magistrate Court on Wednesday. Coleman was charged with grievous harm while Banner was charged with abetment to commit grievous harm. Today Banner told us he did not inflict any stab wounds on Harrisson Banner and he is being accused wrongfully.

Orlando Banner
"Police came here for me the morning before I got up. The man accuses me and my nephew of stabbing him with a knife."

Monica Bodden
"They came for you and your nephew Sheldon?"

Orlando Banner
"Yes, I told the officer to stop at Mr. Wiley's house to talk to them and to get the bird in the pick-up and drop it off at the station."

Monica Bodden
"So you didn't touch this man with a knife? You didn't stab this man?"

Orlando Banner
"No, the only thing I had on me was my lighter and cigarette and my phone that they found me with the morning."

Monica Bodden
"He is accusing you and your nephew of stabbing him?"

Orlando Banner
"Yes, I even heard that the man is having problem over the bridge with his brother. He chased his brother out of his house with a machete."

Monica Bodden
"So after he left that night you didn't see him again?"

Orlando Banner
"No, I never see him again."

Monica Bodden
"So he is accusing you guys wrongfully?"

Orlando Banner
"Yes wrongfully."

Geovanni Brackett, reporter
"So you have been arraigned and charge for something you didn't do."

And for the alleged turkey thief, well police say he is not under investigation for anything.

And the owners of the property - which has been rearing poultry for sale for many years - Told us this is not the first time that their birds have been stolen.

Monica Bodden
"Is this the first time that anyone stole any of the poultry from you guys?"

Thomas Sutherland - Watchman
"It's not all the time but we don't know who it is. This is the first time the turkey was stolen."

We tried to reach the stabbing victim Harrison Banner at the Hospital but he had already checked out. Sheldon Coleman and Orlando Banner were released on bail and their case adjourned until February 27th.

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