Tracy Gladstone Caines of Cedar Park Road, pleaded guilty to the charge of stealing and escaping from Police custody.

Crown counsel Lesley Basden told the court that Kyjuan Saltus was attending a picnic at Robinson's Bay Park on June 8.

Ms Basden said that Mr. Saltus was sitting on a parked cycle when Caines walked up to him and snatched his wallet around 5.00 p.m.

Caines ran off but Police later arrested him on June 12 for a separate matter.

Caines admitted to the offence, and said he stole the wallet because Mr.

Saltus owed him money.

Ms Basden said that Caines, while being questioned, was left in a locked CID room but managed to escape in about 15 minutes.

He apparently unscrewed the wire mesh blocking the window and ran off. He was later recaptured.

Caines said he escaped because he "didn't want to experience withdrawal (from his drug habit) in prison''.

Mr. Francis then ordered a social inquiry report and released Caines on $800 bail.

Caines was also charged with assaulting his sister Jenil Caines, but pleaded not guilty to the charge. He was released on $500 bail with a like surety for the alleged assault.

US VISITORS FINED FOR CANNABIS CTS US visitors fined for cannabis Three American visitors this week added $200 to Government coiffeurs for drug possession.

A teenager travelling aboard the cruise ship Meridian pleaded guilty to cannabis possession in Magistrates' Court.

Colleen Eves, 17, was discovered to have two partially smoked homemade cigarettes and plant material in her purse. It was later determined that the cigarettes contained 0.39 grams of cannabis.

Senior Magistrate Will Francis fined Eves $100.

Another passenger aboard the Meridian was also charged with cannabis possession.

Frank Anthony Boninu, 48, pleaded guilty to possessing 0.81 grams of cannabis.

One homemade cigarette containing the drug was found in Boninu's waist bag and another was found in his cabin safe.

Boninu said the cannabis was for his private use, and that he was "sorry for having wasted the court's time''.

He was fined $100 by Mr. Francis.

Yesterday a Massachusetts man pleaded guilty in Magistrates' Court to possession of cannabis and possession of drug equipment.

Environmentalist Scott D. Smyers, 25, was fined a total of $1,100 by Mr.

Francis.

Smyers was searched by Customs officers on June 18 at 11.45 p.m. in St.

George's as he left the cruise ship he was travelling on.

The officers found cigarette papers in his bag and took him to his cabin where a search revealed a plastic bag containing plant material and a pipe.

The plant material was analysed and found to be 10.74 grams of cannabis.

Mr. Francis fined Smyers $1,000 and $100 for possessing cannabis and drug equipment respectively.

DRUNK DRIVER NEARLY HIT POLICE CAR CTS Drunk driver nearly hit Police car A Hamilton Parish man who almost hit a Police car when he swerved on to the wrong side of the road pleaded guilty to driving while impaired yesterday.

Kenneth Troy Bean, 30, of My Lord's Bay Road, was stopped by Police on Kindley Field Road after they swerved to avoid hitting his car when it jumped the line.

When Bean was stopped Police asked him if he had been drinking and he said he had "three Cockspurs''.

He was arrested and taken to Hamilton Police Station were a breath test revealed a reading of 138 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood.

The legal limit is 80 milligrams in 100 millilitres.

Senior Magistrate Will Francis fined Bean $400 and banned him from driving all vehicles for 12 months.

CHAMPAGNE PROVES TO BE EXPENSIVE CTS Champagne proves to be expensive Two bottles of champagne cost a Smith's Parish man $150 yesterday in Magistrates' Court.

Henry W. Santucci, 37, of Spanish View Lane, pleaded guilty to stealing the champagne from the Wharf Tavern on May 17 at 12.05 a.m.

Police prosecutor Sgt. Anthony Mouchette said a Wharf Tavern employee told Police that he left Santucci in a room while he stepped out and returned to find the man and the champagne were gone.

Shortly after Police were called they saw Santucci coming out of Freddie's Pub on the Square and confronted him.

He was taken to St. George's Police Station where he admitted that he stole the champagne because he felt he was unjustly fired from the Wharf Tavern.

Senior Magistrate Will Francis fined Santucci $150 for the offence.

VISITOR HAD TOO MUCH TO DRINK CTS Visitor had too much to drink A 32-year-old visitor was fined $400 in Magistrates' Court yesterday for driving while impaired.

New York resident Patrick D. Egan, 32, was seen by Police riding his livery cycle at a high speed and in an unsafe manner on June 20 at 1.05 a.m. on Wilkinson Avenue in Bailey's Bay, the court was told.

Police prosecutor Sgt. Anthony Mouchette said officers approached Egan after they stopped him and noticed his breath smelled of alcohol and his eyes were glazed.

When officers asked him if he had been drinking, he said yes.

Egan was arrested and taken to Hamilton Police Station were a sample of his breath showed he had 109 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.

The legal limit is 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres.

Senior Magistrate Will Francis fined Egan $400 and banned him from driving all vehicles for 12 months.

MAN FINED FOR POSSESSING CRACK CTS Man fined for possessing crack A 24-year-old Pembroke man found himself $650 poorer after pleading guilty to possession of cocaine and a machete.

Police prosecutor Sgt. Anthony Mouchette said Craig D. Tucker, of Glebe Road, was seen by Police on Roberts Avenue on January 9 at 8.35 p.m. throwing a bag in the air which landed by his feet.

The officers approached him and asked him what he had. He replied "crack'' and was searched.

Tucker had a machete with him and was arrested. He was taken to Hamilton Police Station where he was charged with possession of cocaine and the machete.

The cocaine was found to have a weight of 2.01 grams. Senior Magistrate Will Francis fined Tucker $500 for the illegal drug and $150 for the machete.