THE last thing Calder Hart remembered before leaving this country was someone breaking down his gate.

Theses were the words of activist Ishmael Samad yesterday, after he opted to give his own plea in mitigation following his conviction for maliciously damaging the arm of an electronic gate belonging to James Ross Hart.

Hart, the son of former Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT) chairman Calder Hart, was in attendance when the sentencing was handed down by Senior Magistrate Lucina Cardenas-Ragoonanan yesterday.

Samad was placed on a $5,000 bond to keep the peace for three years and ordered to pay compensation to James Hart.

Samad said he went to the Harts' De Lima Lane, Cascade, home on April 14 to "tie up Calder Hart and take him to the Belmont Police Station", adding that if the police were doing their job he would not have been in court.

He said there was a sledgehammer in his car which he used to gain entry to Hart's home, but gave up after he "crushed his finger".

Samad told the Senior Magistrate he did what he did because Calder Hart committed the most "brazen fraud on the people of this country" and he wanted to make a citizen's arrest.

However, his explanation was stopped after he was informed that Calder Hart was not on trial.

Cardenas-Ragoonanan also stopped Samad from reading a line from the report from commissioner of the UDeCOTT enquiry, Prof John Uff, saying that the information contained in it was not evidence.

After being stopped from repeatedly saying Calder Hart disrespected the country, Samad said he would not carry out such an act again, adding it was his "greatest regret".

After the $7,500 compensation ruling was made, James Hart, who was with a female companion, smiled.

Cardenas-Ragoonanan then commended arresting officer PC Hayden Gonzales.

Before being sentenced, Samad's attorney, Clyde Weatherhead, argued that the State's case was not proven, since the ownership of the house where the incident occurred was not known.

He said ownership of the house needed to be established by the State, adding that the rightful owner was Calder Hart.

He said the person to prove ownership was not here and therefore he was unable to challenge the issue of ownership.