Cathy Lynette Wardford 37, claimed that .21 grams of cannabis was not found in her bag when she arrived at the Civil Air Terminal.

But she the changed her plea to guilty because she needed to get home to her job as a travel agent, her children and her bills.

Prosecuting Sgt. Kenrick James told the court that on April 9 at 10.45 p.m., Wardford arrived at the Airport in Bermuda.

"Customs officers searched her handbag and found cannabis lying loosely on the bottom of her bag,'' Sgt. James said.

First, Wardford said she had no idea where the cannabis came from and it was not hers.

"The officer searched my bag several times and found nothing, then I see him with this seed in his hand.

"I believe they just wanted to strip search me.'' When Senior Magistrate the Wor. Will Francis told Wardford that he was going to put down a not guilty plea, sending her to trial, she accepted the cannabis to be hers.

"I came here for a short vacation. I had no idea I would have to go through the problems I'm going through now,'' Wardford said.

Mr. Francis said he didn't want her to come back and say she was forced into pleading guilty.

DRUNK DRIVER DISQUALIFIED FOR A YEAR CTS A Hamilton Parish man who was persistent in using his bike to go home when he was intoxicated, was fined $400 in Magistrates' Court this week.

Alan C. Symons 33, of Radnor Road, pleaded guilty to having care and control of a motor cycle on Angle Street while his ability to drive was impaired by alcohol.

Police prosecutor Sgt. Kenrick James told the court that at midnight on April 2, Police attended a domestic dispute on Angle Street where Symons and his wife, from whom he is separated, were arguing.

"Both Symons and his wife had been drinking and Symons attempted to drive his motorbike away,'' Sgt. James said.

"Police noticed that he smelled of alcohol, his speech was slurred and he was belligerent towards them.'' Sgt James added that due to Symons not wanting to take other transportation to get home he was arrested.

Senior Magistrate the Wor. Will Francis fined Symons $400 and disqualified him from all vehicles for 12 months.

WOMAN IN COURT FOR FOUL LANGUAGE CTS A Pembroke woman on probation for foul language yesterday found herself in Magistrates' Court facing a similar charge.

Appearing before Senior Magistrate, the Wor. Will Francis, Valerie Smith, 43, of Parson's Road, admitted using offensive language.

Sgt. Earl Kirby, prosecuting, told Mr. Francis that on Wednesday afternoon Police were called to the Pembroke Laundromat, where Smith was observed to be shouting obscenities.

When cautioned by Police, Smith began to swear at them.

Mr. Francis postponed sentencing pending a probation report, and bailed Smith in the sum of $300.

NOT APPEARING IN COURT PROVES COSTLY CTS Failure to appear in court yesterday proved costly for a St. George's man in Magistrates' Court.

Senior Magistrate, the Wor. Will Francis ordered Ryan David Fox, 25, of Ballast Point, to forfeit $300 bail that would have ensured his appearance in court on Wednesday to face charges of driving while disqualified and violently resisting arrest.

Fox apologised to the court, saying that he was at work and his court date had "slipped his mind.'' Mr. Francis told Fox: "People have to realise that bail means something. I would have thought that you would have had court on your mind.'' He then ordered the bail money to be forfeited to the court.

Sgt. Earl Kirby, prosecuting, told Mr. Francis that on November 13 last year, a Police patrol on North Shore Road, Hamilton Parish saw Fox driving a car near Bethel church.

It was discovered that he was banned from driving.

Fox admitted the charge, but denied violently resisting arrest.

Mr. Francis fined Fox $350, and set the other matter down for trial on September 2.

MEN PLEAD NOT GUILTY TO DRUG CHARGES CTS Two Warwick men this week appeared in Magistrates' Court to face a charge of handling cannabis with intent to supply.

Michael James Fubler, 22, of St. Mary's Road, and Shaheed Jahid Shakir, 22, of Cedar Heights Lane both pleaded not guilty after Senior Magistrate, the Wor.

Will Francis read the charges.

Both men are accused of handling cannabis resin, but the amount and value of the drugs were not revealed to the court.

Mr. Francis set the matter down for trial on September 13, and bailed each man in the sum of $5000 plus like sureties.