A story in Wednesday's paper incorrectly reported that Raymond Davis was fined $300. She was only bound over for one year.

Police may have to return a man's knife after he was cleared of an offensive weapons charge despite his guilty plea.

Magistrate Edward King told the court: "If there is a loophole, then the law must change... I am not going to close any loophole that Parliament has left open!'' Mr. King was speaking after hearing that construction worker Kenneth Looby, 20, was on Ord Road about 10 p.m. on January 16 when officers stopped to search 11 young men in a group.

Looby's Aprilla cycle was searched and a folding knife with a five-inch blade was found.

While Looby -- of Banana Lane, Warwick -- pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon, the court heard that at the time of the alleged offence he had told Police: "It's not mine, a lot of people use my bike.'' Prosecutor Sgt. Phil Taylor when presenting the evidence said: "This is the beast. It's certainly fit and intended for use of doing harm to another person.'' But after lengthy legal arguments between Mr. King, Sgt. Taylor and duty counsel Elizabeth Christopher on whether Looby admitted owning the weapon and whether he intended to use it on another person, Mr. King told the court that he was not satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt.

And he said: "In the interest of justice, I cannot allow his guilty plea to stand.'' Mr. King found Looby not guilty and explained that the knife was to be held by Police until the time required for an appeal had passed.

Only then would it be returned to Looby, he added.

SANDYS MAN CHARGED WITH SEXUAL EXPLOITATION CTS Sandys man charged with sexual exploitation A 33-year-old Sandys man was charged in Magistrates' Court with sexually exploiting a woman.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was not required to enter a plea for the offence, which allegedly occurred between June 1, 1996, and October 20, 1997, as it will be tried in the Supreme Court.

The man, represented by lawyer Juan Wolffe, will return to court for mention on February 20. He was released on $2,500 bail with a like surety and was ordered to surrender all his travel documents.

ACTION HERO NO MATCH FOR LOGN ARM OF LAW CTS Action hero no match for long arm of law Jackie Chan could not save the day for a man accused of stealing one of the Chinese actor's action movies.

Howard Austin Sinclair Hayward, 19, of North Shore Road, Pembroke yesterday admitted in Magistrates' Court to stealing a video tape from Leisure Time on Queen Street.

The court was told Hayward ran from the building at 5 p.m. on December 29, and a video tape in his possession set off an alarm at the front desk.

He was caught on Queen Street by staff and escorted to a back office until Police arrived.

Magistrate Edward King told Hayward: "You have previous convictions for similar offences. You are well known for this type of thing and you have already had corrective training.'' Mr. King sentenced Hayward to three months imprisonment, suspended for two years.

"If you keep practising, you are going to become a professional prisoner!'' he added.

MAN FINED FOR OFFENSIVE WEAPON POSSESSION CTS Man fined for offensive weapon possession Twenty-year-old Antonio Perinchief's wallet became a little lighter after he admitted to possessing an offensive weapon.

Magistrate Edward King heard that Perinchief, of Spring Hill, Warwick, was outside the Jamaican Grill on Ord Road in Paget with other youths on January 16 when Police stopped and searched them under suspicion of possessing drugs.

When a three-and-one-half-inch knife was found on Perinchief he told Police: "I carry it for my protection.'' Mr. King ordered Perinchief to pay a $400 fine and handed down a six-month sentence, suspended for two years.

WOMAN TOLD: `DON'T BE A FOOL FOR LOVE' CTS Woman told: `Don't be a fool for love' A young woman was advised not to do foolish things for love after she made a false report to Police to protect her boyfriend.

Twenty-two-year-old Raymond Davis was fined $300 after pleading guilty to the charge in Magistrates' Court.

Prosecutor Insp. Kenrick James said Police attended an accident at 6 p.m. on April 25 at Harrington Hundreds Road, Smith's Parish and were told that a man on a beige Honda cycle had fled the scene.

Later that evening, the accused telephoned the Police to report her cycle stolen.

After subsequent inquiries, Police saw Davis' boyfriend unloading a beige cycle from a truck.

When contacted by Police, Ms Davis asked: "When will I have to go to court?'' Her lawyer, Victoria Pearman, did not take issue with the prosecution's case.

But she said Davis' ex-boyfriend had called her and asked her to "cover him with the Police''.

Ms Pearman told the court that Davis had a Bachelor's degree, worked in the insurance industry, and would like to study law in the near future.

Magistrate Edward King interjected that she would not be the first lawyer to have had a brush with the law before joining the profession.

Mr. King ordered Davis to pay the fine and bound her over to keep the peace for 12 months. He also told her that she should not do foolish things for love and wished her success.

MAN, 52, LEARNS PRIVE OF IMPAIRED DRIVING CTS Man, 52, learns price of impaired driving A man last before the court 36 years ago learned the cost of breaking the law had skyrocketed.

Melvin George Nusum, 52, of Pembroke, pleaded guilty in Magistrates' Court to impaired driving.

At 1.40 a.m. on January 4, Police saw Nusum overtake another car on Kindley Road, St. George's, Police prosecutor Sgt. Phil Taylor said. When the officers stopped Nusum they noted his eyes were glazed, his speech was slurred, and that his breath smelled of alcohol.

Subsequent tests revealed that Nusum had at least 170 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood.

The court also heard that Nusum was last before the court in 1962 when he received a fine of 3 for riding a cycle on the foreshore.

Nusum asked that he be allowed to drive work related vans. And Magistrate Edward King complied. He fined Nusum $600 and disqualified him from driving all motor vehicles except commercial vehicles.

"You might even ask your boss to allow you to take the van home,'' Mr. King added, "but I can't do that.'' `ALCOHOL ADDICT' TOLD HE NEEDS TO FIND HELP CTS `Alcohol addict' told he needs to find help Magistrate Edward King told a man that he was an "alcohol addict'' and that he should get help.

His comments were made after Dion Burgess, 32, of Camp Hill, Southampton, pleaded guilty to drinking alcohol in a public place.

Police prosecutor Sgt. Phil Taylor said at 8.40 p.m. on January 4 a member of the public told Police at St. George's Police Station that there was a man drinking in front of Pasta Pasta Restaurant, three doors away.

Police went westward along Duke of York Street and as they approached they saw Burgess drinking a Carlsberg Elephant beer.

Sgt. Taylor said Burgess picked up a brown paper bag and tried to run. But he added that due to Burgess' intoxicated state he was quickly apprehended.

The brown paper bag contained five bottles of Elephant beer.

Mr. King told Burgess: "You sir are an alcohol addict and you should get some help.'' He sentenced Burgess to a three-month prison term, suspended for six months and ordered him to pay a $150 fine.