A story last week on the sentencing of Dwayne Dawson incorrectly reported the fuel used to douse the victim. Dawson doused the man with diesel fuel, not gasoline. In addition, Dawson was filling his truck with fuel and the victim insulted Dawson's wife.

Spraying gasoline on another man and threatening to burn a man alive cost a Paget man $300 and a stern warning from a Magistrate.

Dwayne Dawson, 37, pleaded guilty yesterday to dousing Steven Paul Pacheco with gasoline -- an assault -- on January 29 in the delivery area of Bierman's Quarry in Smith's Parish.

"I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt. He seems to have said something insulting which is very distressing,'' Senior Magistrate Will Francis told Dawson.

However, he added: "But soaking someone in gasoline is very dangerous. If there had been any kind of spark...'' Mr. Francis heard Dawson, of 59 Cobb's Hill Road, and a truck driver for D&J Construction, saw Mr. Pacheco at Bierman's where they got into an argument.

Junior Crown counsel Veronica Gordon said Dawson pulled a fuel pump from Mr.

Pacheco's hands and doused him, claiming he had insulted Dawson's wife.

Ms Gordon added: "He doused him and threatened to light a match and burn him.

Mr. Pacheco was able to get into his truck and drive away.'' "He threatened me and my wife because I confronted him about something he said about my wife,'' Dawson told Mr. Francis yesterday.

"He was making threats to me. He denied talking about my wife in front of a witness and then said he would get me,'' Dawson added.

Mr. Francis ordered Dawson to pay a $300 fine by yesterday or face 20 days in prison in default.

DEFENDANT SWEARS AT MAGISTRATE CTS Defendant swears at Magistrate A man, who will be sentenced in the Supreme Court for stealing a washer and refrigerator, let a Magistrate have a piece of his mind yesterday.

Gerald Edward Smith cursed Senior Magistrate Will Francis and Junior Crown counsel Veronica Gordon after they discussed whether his "numerous'' convictions warranted a stiff sentence.

Smith, 31, of Border Lane, Pembroke, had pleaded guilty to breaking and entering the vacationing Thomas Simons' Watlington Road in Devonshire property in April .

Mr. Francis heard that Mr. Simons left his second home unsecured while on vacation to allow real estate agents access to sell it.

Ms Gordon said Mr. Simons returned to the Island on April 24 and went to the house to check on it.

He entered a side entrance to find a washer/dryer combination missing and called the Police.

Mr. Simons left the property and returned a short time later to find three men in a van HA403 in the parking lot.

Ms Gordon said Mr. Simons blocked the path of the van, and Smith shouted they were "just cooling and smoking some weed''.

Mr. Simons allowed the men to leave, but noticed his refrigerator in the rear of the van as it pulled away.

Police inquiries saw Smith being arrested, but he was found to be uncooperative in interviews, Ms Gordon said.

In mitigation, Smith said the theft resulted from "a drug deal gone bad'' and he was only trying to get equal compensation.

Mr. Francis, however, was unmoved and told Smith such a confession would only make him look worse when it came to sentencing.

Ms Gordon then noted Smith had been sentenced to five years in prison for breaking and entering by the Supreme Court, and was only released last fall.

"F**k you! You're talking about remanding me?'' he told Ms Gordon, before Mr.

Francis told him to be quiet.

After Mr. Francis said he would be sentenced again by the high court, Smith shouted: "You're a f**king a**, f**k off!'' before he was hustled out of the courtroom.

Mr. Francis ignored the comment.

NO ADDITIONAL TIME FOR ASSAULT CTS No additional time for assault A Pembroke man who is already serving a prison sentence received no additional time yesterday after pleading guilty to assault.

Robin James Stovell, 37 of Twin Lane, admitted causing bodily harm to Troy Harvey who was allowing Stovell to live in his home at the time of the offence.

The Court heard how on January 4, last year Stovell punched and choked Mr.

Harvey who suffered two black eyes and bruising as a result of the attack.

Stovell, who said he was angry and lashed out, told the court: "I'm sorry that it happened.'' Senior Magistrate Will Francis ordered Stovell to pay a $500 fine or spend 40 days in prison.

Although it was apparent that Stovell -- who was unrepresented -- did not want any assistance from the Crown, Senior Crown counsel Larry Mussenden said it would be fair if the sentence ran concurrently to Stovell's existing sentence for an unrelated matter.

Mr. Francis made the order for Stovell to serve the 40 days within his current prison term.

JAMAICAN WOMAN JAILED FOR DRUGS CTS Jamaican woman jailed for drugs Defence counsel for a Jamaican woman blamed "absent-mindedness'' due to pregnancy for his client's conduct in importing half a pound of cannabis.

Launie Porter-Ford, 29, of Hillview Road, Warwick was nevertheless imprisoned for six months after pleading guilty in Magistrates' Court yesterday to importing the cannabis worth $10,800.

Porter-Ford arrived at the Civil Air Terminal on September 21 last year from the US. When she presented herself at the Customs desk, a Customs officer noted that she appeared very nervous and was sweating profusely.

A drug detection dog was brought in and sat next to her, indicating the presence of drugs. Porter-Ford was advised that she would be searched and promptly admitted: "I have it. I have drugs.'' The court heard that Porter-Ford had taped the two packages of cannabis to her body. She claimed that they were for her personal use, but nevertheless pleaded guilty to the importation charge.

Senior Crown counsel Larry Mussenden told the court how the cannabis could be divided into 432 half-gram packages each worth $25 and that the total haul was therefore worth $10,800 on the street.

He urged the court to consider the seriousness the Court of Appeal had attached to importation offences and said a custodial sentence was warranted.

Porter-Ford's lawyer, Michael Scott, asked the court to take into consideration his client's guilty plea, her cooperation with Police, the fact that she had recently given birth, and her previous clean record.

He also said the offence was out of character for his client and noted that it was common knowledge that pregnancy can lead to depression and other unusual behaviour.

He added that his client was clearly preoccupied and stressed about her pregnancy at the time of the offence. He noted that she said: "I need the money for baby clothes.'' Mr. Scott therefore asked for a suspended sentence for his client.

In sentencing Porter-Ford, Senior Magistrate Will Francis said no discount in sentence could be made for the fact that she was pregnant at the time of the offence.

If such circumstances were taken into consideration, he said, drug dealers would seek out pregnant mothers, those who are ill or otherwise disadvantaged to act as drug mules.

"This amount is very serious,'' Mr. Francis stressed. And after considering everything said by Mr. Scott, he sentenced the unemployed mother of four to six months imprisonment.