Claimed he was fascinated by reptile

When police and wildlife personnel found a crocodile tied up at the back of a man's house in Clarendon, they did not know it was a childhood fascination that he had with the reptile.

On February 12, members of the Island Special Constabulary Force and personnel from the National Environmental Planning Agency reportedly raided the home belonging to Donald Cornwall in Gravel Hill.

A four-foot-long crocodile was reportedly found at the premises and was later released back into the wild while Cornwall was subsequently charged for breaches of the Wildlife and Protection Act.

Cornwall, 26, appeared in the May Pen Resident Magistrate's Court on Thursday where he pleaded guilty to the charge. He was sentenced to six months hard labour suspended for six months.

cold-*lo**ed creature

The Clarendon resident explained to the court that he had no intention of hurting the reptile. However, he said, from his childhood days he had a fascination for the cold-*lo**ed creature.

The police had become aware of Cornwall's pet crocodile after residents reported seeing the reptile at his home. When THE STAR spoke to a number of residents yesterday they said that they were relieved when the crocodile was removed from their community.

"Jah know wi glad wi find out before nuttin did go wrong ... Cause u woulda hear seh crocodile kill off people dung yah all because one man watch too much TV," one resident who gave her name as Junie told THE STAR.

"Pickney live inna di community and yu know how dem troublesome already ... Next thing dem go trouble di crocodile and dead. No, wi nuh want no crocodile in yah," another resident, Marlon Cummings said.