Man denies unlawful wounding charge

A Pembroke man pleaded not guilty yesterday in Magistrates? Court to a charge of unlawfully wounding.

Anthony John Bean, 37, of Princess Street appeared before Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner and denied unlawfully wounding Andrew Rocha on April 5 in Pembroke Parish.

The matter is adjourned until July 25 and the defendant was released on $2,000 bail with one surety.

Beggar sent to prison for three months

A vagabond was sent to prison for three months yesterday after appearing in Magistrates? Court on a begging charge.

Ronald Edward Jeffers, 59, of no fixed abode pleaded guilty to the charge, telling Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner, ?I was only asking a friend for some change?.

Magistrate Warner said that begging is a social problem that the courts are ill equipped to deal with.

?Bringing him before the courts is a waste of time and an embarrassment to the system? Mr. Warner said..

He sent Jeffers to Westgate for three months. ?Go up there and get fed and cleaned up?, he said.

Christmas Eve knife charge

A Sandys man pleaded not guilty to charges of possession of a bladed weapon and the controlled drug cocaine on Tuesday in Magistrates? Court.

Mervin Wilbert Smith, 54, of of Bob?s Valley Road, was arrested on Christmas Eve last year for having a 4.5-inch knife in his possession. He was also found with a cocaine pipe. The defendant pleaded not guilty to both charges.

Smith will return to court on July 24 for mention.

Same name fraud charges

A Devonshire man faced 12 fraud charges in Magistrates? Court on Tuesday for allegedly stealing over $25,000 from a man with the same name.

Clyde Ian Saltus, 31, of Happy Valley Road, was not required to enter a plea for the offences ? which allegedly occurred between August 25 and September 7, 2004 ? as they are indictable.

According to the charges, Saltus withdrew monies from the Bank of Bermuda account of Clyde L. Saltus on four different occasions, using falsified documents.

Senior Magistrate Warner released Saltus on $5,000 bail with one surety.

Homeless man imprisoned for theft

A homeless man, with an extensive history of theft, admitted to robbing two stores last week in Magistrates? Court.

Marcel Sheppard, 45, grabbed cash from two Pembroke stores before taking off on foot, the court heard.

Sheppard?s first offence was at the Market Place when he stole $20. He later visited R & C Variety and grabbed $600 in cash from the register.

Sheppard, who is still on probation for a November 2005 offence, was given immediate custodial sentences of 9 months for each offence, which will be served concurrently.

Sentencing delayed for cannabis possession

Sentencing was delayed for a Hamilton Parish man who admitted to possession of less than one gram of cannabis this week after the Magistrate ordered a social inquiry report into the matter.

Damien Martin, 22, of Mount Wyndham Lane pleaded guilty to possession of .53 grams of the controlled drug cannabis. He was arrested on February 11 of this year at Hamilton Parish Workman?s Club where he was seen smoking outside of the building.

The defendant was walking to the car park but turned back to the club when Police arrived on the scene.

When approached by Police, he appeared nervous and put his right hand in his right pocket. The officers informed him that he would be searched.

Officers found a single plastic twist containing a plant like substance in his pocket.

Martin told Police the drugs were his but added that he did not sell. ?Can you give me a break?? he asked the officers.

?That evening I wasn?t smoking, I just had it on me,? Martin told Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner in court.

He admitted, however, that he did smoke a ?bit?.

Mr. Warner ordered a social inquiry report and adjourned the matter until June 29.

Martin was released on $1,000 bail with one surety.