Brazen thief hits vending machine twice in the same way

The Muvi Service Machine at Heron Bay MarketPlace has been hit twice in as many days this week by thieves who have been able to get away with an unknown quantity of money.

Sometime between 4 p.m. Saturday and 10.40 a.m. on Monday the vending machine was hit by the thief - or thieves - and on Tuesday it was reported to Police the machine had been broken into during the night hours.

And a thief made off with $630 in cash after breaking into a Warwick residence during daylight hours on Monday.

Police were called to the Morgan Road home at 5.50 p.m., where the complainant told them the culprit entered her home sometime between 8.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. that day. Inquiries into the incident are underway.

Someone broke into a house in Windermere Road, Pembroke, on Tuesday stealing cash and jewellery.

The intruder stole a men's gold/onyx ring, a remote control car, a 20 inch silver chain with a large cross pendant, a gold chain with a large shark tooth pendant, $200 in notes, $100 in coins, and ?250.

‘Kleptomaniac' caught out by Greaves

A self proclaimed kleptomaniac was ordered to pay a $250 fine yesterday for stealing a camera from a Hamilton supermarket.

Courtney Rawlins, a 33-year-old Devonshire resident, pleaded guilty to stealing the $16 camera from the Marketplace.

At an earlier court hearing he had pleaded not guilty, claiming he was a kleptomaniac and said a doctor's report would prove it.

But after perusing a letter from a doctor, Magistrate Carlisle Greaves said: “The doctor never said you were a kleptomaniac, he said you told him you were a kleptomaniac - the same thing you told me.”

Rawlins then changed his plea to guilty. The court heard that he had been observed by the store's assistant manager walk out without paying for the camera and was promptly arrested.

“I'm very sorry it happened,” Rawlins told the court.

Temporary fee schedule at Tynes Bay

Truckers can expect a change in fees due to maintenance at the Tynes Bay Waste Treatment Facility. The maintenance is expected to last for the next three weeks.

The weigh bridge will be closed to all traffic and truckers when tipping, and instead there will be a flat rate, depending on the size of the vehicle.

Light trucks will pay $17.50 for a full load and $8 for a part load; intermediate trucks will pay $20 for a full load and $17.50 for half; and heavy trucks will pay $25 for a full load and $20 for a half.

Truckers are being advised to consolidate their loads to full trucks where ever possible. The west gate entrance will be closed and all traffic will enter and exit through the east gate.

Traffic lanes will be marked to ensure the smooth running of traffic and drivers are advised to use extreme caution.

The Ministry of Works and Engineering apologises for any inconvenience that this may cause and hopes to return the situation to normal as soon as maintenance is complete.

For further information, contact the Tynes Bay Waste Treatment Facility at 296-0673.

Formula One comes to the Island

Race fans can get up close and personal with a Renault Formula One Team Car next weekend.

The vehicle will be at BAA field in Woodlands Road. Admission is free for Renault owners on Saturday May 17 between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on presentation of a Renault key.

There will be a grand draw for a trip for two to the American Formula One Grand Prix plus hourly draws for various gifts including free car services. Other Renault cars will be showcased. There will be a kids fun castle and Chris Broadhurst will be M.C.

On Sunday the general public can see the car between noon and five p.m. for $2.

Customary fines for two impaired drivers

Impaired driving earned two men $1,000 each in fines and one year driving bans after they pleaded guilty in Magistrates Court yesterday.

Magistrate Carlisle Greaves banned the men - Tristan Burrows, 26, and Matthew Hogan, 36, - from driving any vehicle for 12 months.

Burrows, a Smith's Parish resident, was watched by Police driving erratically April 18 until he collided with two cycles in a parking bay on Dundonald Street.

“I had a few at home, went to work and had a few more, then I went home and had a few more,” he told Police. He had no previous convictions and pleaded guilty.

Hogan, a Hamilton Parish resident, was stopped by Police under similar circumstances on April 17 around the Crow Lane area.