his power to assist all drug abusers to get help for their problems.

The plea came from Acting Senior Magistrate Cheryl Ann Mapp after she was about to sentence drug addict turned petty thief Michael Richard Ratteray.

Ratteray, 36, of St. John's Road, Pembroke pleaded guilty to stealing, forging and uttering 14 cheques that he had taken from his 84-year-old father and obtaining $260 in cash and goods.

Mr. Edness appeared in court to speak on behalf of Ratteray. He said that Ratteray came to him with his problem and recognised that he had an addiction to cannabis and alcohol.

"Michael steals,'' Mr. Edness said. "He has a serious drug problem but when he goes to prison and comes out he will still have it with him.

"I have helped him to get a job and he is working at two jobs... marijuana and alcohol are his drugs of choice but I would like to suggest that you put a suspended prison sentence over his head.'' Mr. Edness, a former Minister of Social Services with responsibility for the prisons, said rehabilitation in the prison system was not working and a better course would be to require him to see (Addiction Services counsellor) Bryant Richards under the supervision of the Probation Services department.

And Mr. Edness promised to monitor Ratteray's progress and ensure that he kept working.

"If he failed to follow these orders then may I suggest that he go to prison at that time,'' he said. "I believe that this is a formula that we could use.

He has informed me that he has paid some of the money back.'' But Mrs. Mapp said that Ratteray had been given ample opportunity in the past to sort out his drug problem. He had appeared before the courts a few months ago for a similar offence of dishonesty.

Consequently, she said his punishment would include a period of incarceration.

And she told Mr. Edness that as a legislator he was perfectly placed to effect the changes that could help addicts to get rehabilitated when they are in prison or out in the community.

"You are in a far better position than I to effect the changes,'' Mrs. Mapp told Mr. Edness. "He represents so many people who come before these courts every day.'' Prosecutor Sgt. Phil Taylor said Ratteray stole 25 cheques from his father between March 20 and April 17. Eleven of the cheques have not been recovered.

He then forged them, uttered them and received cash and goods worth $260 from the Point Mart, Esso Auto Mart, Arnold's family Market and Shelly Bay MarketPlace.

Minister "I can't ignore what you have done and it is not in the public interest to deal with this in any other way than through a custodial sentence,'' Mrs. Mapp said.

Ratteray was remanded in custody while an updated social inquiry report is completed.

Mrs. Mapp said she would await the report because she wanted to see whether Probation Services considered that he was a candidate that could benefit from probation.

On hearing that Ratteray will spending some time in prison, Mr. Edness asked Mrs. Mapp if she could order the Prison Authorities to place him in a rehabilitation programme.

But Mrs. Mapp reminded Mr. Edness that her powers did not extend that far, thus she could only make a recommendation that he receive help while incarcerated.