Being caught with illegal drugs twice in the space of three months has landed a 21-year-old Pembroke man with a $1,500 fine and a warning that if he ends up in court again for a drugs-related offence he will be sent to Westgate. Jaha Akila Mallory admitted one charge of possessing cannabis and another charge of possessing cannabis resin, when he appeared at Magistrates? Court.

Crown counsel Shakira Dill told the court that Police had gone to Mallory?s home at Field View Lane on August 28 and carried out a search of the property. When they checked Mallory?s trouser pockets officers discovered three small bags containing a ?plant-like? material and asked Mallory what it was, and he answered it was ?weed?.

The substance was later analysed and identified as 3.18 grammes of cannabis, which has a street value of around $80.

The court was then told that on June 24, a Police patrol spotted two men making a hand-to-hand transaction on Court Street and approached the men, one of whom was Mallory. They noticed Mallory was fidgeting with something and searched his trouser pockets, discovering a film canister containing 0.64 grammes of cannabis resin which has a street value of just over $50.

On both occasions Mallory told Police that the drugs were for his personal use. Mallory told the court he had been drinking and needed something to smoke. He said the drug helped him when he had ?stress? inside his head. Magistrate Juan Wolffe, giving a $1,000 fine for the August 28 offence and a $500 fine for the June 24 offence, warned Mallory that he was ?skating on thin ice? and added: ?Next time you find yourself in this court on these types of matter you will find yourself in Westgate.?

Woman denies forging document

A 20 year old has denied in court that she used a forged document to try and get $30,000 belonging to her father paid to her by Capital G Bank. Rayneika Angelique Crofton, of Granaway Heights, Southampton, pleaded not guilty to three charges involving an attempted deception to access the money from the bank on April 1.

When she appeared at Magistrates? Court, Crofton was released on a $2,000 bail and told to return to court on March 13 for a trial.

?Not a good way to welcome yourself?

A Canadian who has been on the Island only two months has been banned from driving for a year after he was involved in a crash on Front Street.

Paul Warren Katool, of Middle Road, was riding an auxiliary cycle when he was involved in a collision with a car at the junction of Front Street and Burnaby Street on December 13.

Minor damage was caused to the rear of the car by Katool?s bike. Police officers who attended the scene of the collision, at around 10:50 p.m., noticed a smell of alcohol on Katool?s breath and asked if he had been drinking, he replied that he had consumed three or four drinks that evening.

When Katool, 42, was breath-tested he was found to have 199 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, more than double the legal limit.

Appearing in Magistrates? Court, Katool pleaded guilty to impaired driving, and said: ?I just had too many drinks. I apologise.?

Magistrate Juan Wolffe said: ?This is not a good way to welcome yourself to Bermuda.?

Katool was fined $1,000 and disqualified from driving any vehicle on public roads for 12 months.

Drunk driver pays for making bad choice

After spending the evening at a party and having a few drinks Ezra Ezzard Williams had a choice to make ? should he leave his auxiliary cycle parked and get a taxi, or should he take a chance at riding for the five minutes or so it would take to get back home.

The 21 year old decided on the latter and, as a result of being over the drink-drive limit, must now pay a $1,000 and not drive any vehicles for the next 12 months.

Williams, of Cemetery Lane, Pembroke, admitted he had made the wrong choice that night when he appeared in Magistrates? Court and pleaded guilty to driving while impaired on November 19. The court was told by Crown counsel Shakira Dill that a Police patrol was travelling south along Montpelier Road, Devonshire, at around 3.33 a.m. when the officers noticed an auxiliary cycle with no lights illuminated coming from the other direction.

The cycle was moving from side to side and the officers decided to pull over the rider and question him.

They noticed that Williams smelt of alcohol, had glazed eyes and was unsteady on his feet. One officer asked Williams if he was sick, to which he replied: ?No, I?m cool.?

Williams then told the officers that he had drunk two beers and two shots that night. When he was tested at the Police station he gave a reading of 156mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood, almost twice the legal limit.

Explaining his actions to Magistrate Juan Wolffe, Williams said: ?I came from a party. I had a few drinks and I was not supposed to be riding. I should have parked my bike and got a taxi. My destination was five minutes away and I thought I could make it, but I didn?t make it.?

Three gold bracelets were valued at $496

A 26-year-old Devonshire man pleaded not guilty in Magistrates? Court this week to charges of stealing. Jerkeyo Berkeley, of Alexandra Road, was charged with stealing three gold bracelets valued at $496 on September 25.

Berkeley will return to court on March 6 and was released on $1,000 bail with one surety.