Impaired driver banned for 12 months

A Smith?s man admitted to driving while impaired yesterday and was fined $800 and banned from driving all vehicles for one year.

Luis Almeida, 40, of Jennings Road appeared in Magistrates? Court with his sister, who acted as translator for him.

The court heard that on April 9 Almeida was driving down Middle Road in Southampton when he overtook a Police car.

The officer driving was forced to slam the brakes and drivers in the opposite direction were also forced to stop in order to avoid a collision.

When the officers pulled the defendant over, the smell of alcohol was on his breath.

They asked him if he had been drinking and he told them ?no?.

Almeida agreed to take a breathalyser test and his blood alcohol level was 139 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood.

The legal limit is 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood.

Tourist fined $2,000 for marijuana

A German tourist was fined $2,000 in Magistrates? Court yesterday after being caught with cannabis at the Bermuda Airport.

The court heard that when Robert Gardner, 54, arrived on a flight from London Gatwick, Police sniffer dogs alerted Customs officials to him.

Officers informed Gardner he would be searched and found a plastic bag containing plant-like material on him.

When asked what the substance was, Gardner admitted it was marijuana. ?It?s grass,? he said.

Government testing showed the substance was 4.74 grams of cannabis.

Yesterday, Gardner told Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo he was coping with a family tragedy and had been using cannabis to relax.

He was fined $2,000 which he agreed to pay immediately.

Hart trial delayed by ailing lawyers

Illness yet again hampered progress in the Supreme Court trial of former international cross country runner Jamal K. Hart on Wednesday.

Hart, 38 of Farm Lane, Hamilton Parish, denies importing 10,953 grams of cannabis into Bermuda on or about July 13, 2003.

Puisne Judge Carlisle Greaves said the court had received a letter from Juris Law Chambers that said Hart?s lawyer Victoria Pearman was still overseas getting medical attention.

?Charles Richardson is attending a doctor to see what progress his illness has made,? Mr. Justice Greaves said. ?Craig Attridge is now inflicted with influenza so no attorney is able to attend from Juris.?

The judge said Crown counsel Graveney Bannister was due to leave the jurisdiction until May 27 and as a result the court had no choice but to adjourn Hart?s trial until May 29 when the court would be able to continue with the matter.

Hart?s bail was extended.