A terminally ill man will spend the next nine years behind bars for three separate attacks at different hotels.

Michael Bell, 40, of Paget, was yesterday sentenced in Supreme Court for two counts of assault with intent to rob, robbery and entering a dwelling house with the intent to commit a felony.

Crown counsel Melvin Douglas said Bell approached a British couple, who were taking a walk near their Paget hotel, Stonington Beach, around 9.45 p.m. on October 24, 1996.

Mr. Douglas said Bell jumped onto David and Ann Creed and grabbed Mrs. Creed's throat.

While squeezing the woman's throat, Bell demanded she give him her pocket book.

Mr. Douglas said Bell fled when Mrs. Creed told him she did not have any money.

Mrs. Creed sustained injuries to her throat while her husband suffered fractured ribs.

On November 20, 1996, Bell rang the doorbell of the Loughlands Guest House, in Paget, and 76-year-old Ruth Pickles answered.

He pushed the elderly woman backwards and then gripped her around the neck, placing a hand over her mouth.

Before Bell fled, he ripped a necklace from Ms Pickle's neck and tried to remove a watch from her wrist.

The elderly woman suffered a cut under her eye and bruising to her neck.

And on November 27 of last year, Bell and another man attacked a couple staying at the White Sands Hotel in Paget.

Mr. Douglas said the men knocked on the couple's door shortly after 9.30 p.m.

and when Joseph Banzer answered, they pushed their way into the room.

The co-accused, armed with a knife, tried to stop Charlotte Banzer from screaming while Bell held down her husband.

Hearing the screams, the hotel's manager ran to the room where he found the couple with the two would-be thieves.

Mr. Douglas said the men fled after a brief struggle with the hotel manager.

Det. Con. Calvin Smith told Chief Justice Austin Ward that Bell had a lengthy criminal record which dated back to the 1970s. He was last released from prison in 1994.

His record includes convictions for theft, grievous bodily harm, prowling, rape and possession of cannabis.

Citing the fact that a degree of violence was used in all three attacks, Mr.

Douglas suggested a prison sentence in the range of ten to 14 years.

But defence lawyer Victoria Pearman urged Mr. Justice Ward to hand down a lighter sentence since Bell was terminally ill.

Ms Pearman also said the offences were all connected with Bell's addiction to cocaine and alcohol.

"On all three occasions a considerable amount of alcohol was consumed,'' she said. "Liquor makes him foolish.'' Ms Pearman added that her client had written to Ms Pickles to apologise.

And Bell told Mr. Justice Ward that he would have written to the other victims but he did not know how to get in touch with them.

File photo by David Skinner NINE YEARS -- Michael Bell was yesterday sentenced to spend nine years in prison for committing assaults at three different Paget hotels.