Senior denies sexually assaulting two girls

A 78-year-old man will be tried on November 30 on charges he sexually assaulted two girls, aged 11 and 13, this summer. The defendant cannot be named in case it reveals the identity of his victims.

In Magistrates? Court yesterday the silver-haired defendant shouted he was ?guilty? when Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner first read out the charges. But when he realised his mistake he sputtered, ?I?m sorry, not guilty?.

Defence lawyer Elizabeth Christopher spoke for her client for the remainder of the proceedings. The 78-year-old pleaded not guilty to touching a 13-year-old girl for sexual purposes between April 1, 2005 and August 31, 2005. He also denied inviting, counselling or inciting the girl to touch a part of his body for sexual purposes.

And he denied touching part of the body of an 11-year-old girl on June 15, 2005 in Paget. Mr. Warner granted him bail of $5,000 with one surety to appear for trial.

Doctor charged with driving while impaired

An Emergency Department doctor at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH) denied an impaired driving charge in Magistrates? Court yesterday. Angela Marini, 44, of Salt Kettle Road, Paget, pleaded not guilty to driving while impaired in Warwick on September 3, 2005.

Dr. Marini also denied refusing to a breathalyser test at the same date and time. She was represented by defence lawyer Mark Pettingill. Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner granted her bail of $1,000 to appear for her trial on December 6.

Drunken wedding guest causes accident

A man who had been drinking at a wedding was almost three times over the legal drink-drive limit when he was involved in a car accident, Magistrates? Court heard yesterday.

Police came across a road accident in CedarBridge Lane, Devonshire, on July 30 where a car windscreen had been damaged. Officers were told that the driver responsible for the accident was Casy Kaven King, of Midland Heights Crescent, Hamilton Parish.

When asked by Police if he had consumed alcohol that day, King, 32, said he had been to a wedding and had been drinking. When breathalysed the lower breath specimen he gave showed an alcohol level of 220 milligrams in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood.

King pleaded guilty to driving while over the legal limit and was fined $1,000 and banned from driving for 12 months.

Police dog sniffs out drug offender

A Police dog alerted officers that a man sitting in a car near a nursery and pre-school had cannabis when it barked at the vehicle as the two officers walked past.

Tyrone Brooks, 30, of Paget pleaded guilty to having the controlled substance when he appeared at the Magistrates? Court in Hamilton.

Brooks was sitting in a car in Dundonald Street when two Police officers, together with a police dog, walked past on May 21 this year.

He was parked within 300 metres of the Kidds Kollege Nursery and Pre-school. Police found 0.14 grams of cannabis resin in his possession.

Brooks was fined $800 for possessing the drug and a further $1,000 for being within an increased penalty zone.