A man employed to the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) as a driver and who pleaded guilty to stealing diesel oil from a bus he was assigned to drive, was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment at hard labour in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.

Charged with simple larceny is Garth Miles.

The court heard that on May 21, about 5 a.m., Mills had just started working when he reportedly drove off route and went home. It is alleged that the accused was caught sucking the diesel oil from the bus and transferring it into a bath pan. It is alleged that he also had a five-gallon container on hand.

Miles told the court that he was guilty but asked for leniency. He told Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey that he was the sole provider for his two sons who live with him.

Before sentencing, RM Pusey told Miles the JUTC and other entities that use oil have been suffering greatly at the hands of thieves. She said this has been destroying the JUTC for years.