With a slew of charges for forging cheques for a total value over $4000, a Warwick man will be sentenced in Supreme Court after a Magistrate ruled that his crime deserves a harsher penalty than $600 maximum fines.

Chet Wilmot, 42, of Farm Lane Warwick, stood quietly as he pleaded guilty to a total of 26 charges in Magistrates Courton Friday. Twenty four of the charges were in connection with the forgery, false utterance and unlawfully obtaining $4,550 with eight cheques he stole from local veterinarian, George Heslop.

But once Wilmot had cashed eight of the forged cheques he attempted to rip Dr. Heslop off even further ? by gaining entry to Dr. Heslop?s home with the intent to steal, over a month after he first stole the cheques.

Wilmot admitted that on May 1 this year he stole 15 Bank of Butterfield cheques from the front seat Dr. Heslop?s car, which was parked in front of the vet?s Southampton residence.

In four weeks, Wilmot forged Dr. Heslop?s signature on eight cheques and made them out to himself for amounts ranging from $350 to $450. He then successfully cashed two cheques per week at both White?s and Hayward?s supermarkets in Warwick.

Dr. Heslop soon realised the theft of the cheques once his bank account became overdrawn. But it wasn?t until 4.45 p.m, June 4 that Dr. Heslop had the opportunity to face Wilmot in person when he discovered him in his home, preventing him stealing more.

Police arrested Wilmot on East Broadway, Pembroke on June16 on suspicion of another crime and he was formerly charged for the forgery later the next day at Somerset Police Station.

Wilmot told Police that he needed the money to support his heroin habit and asked to be considered for the Drug Court?s rehabilitation programme.

But Crown counsel Sade Subair was quick to advise Acting Senior Magistrate Carlisle Greaves that, considering Wilmot?s numerous convictions for like offences, the programme would be inappropriate for him. She also said that Wilmot?s Supreme Court conviction for arson would make him ineligible for the addiction programme. For his latest conviction for attempted theft, Wilmot received a three month sentence in October 2003 .

When asked if he had anything to say to the court in light of his 26 guilty pleas, Wilmot shook his head slowly and remained silent.

But when the time came for sentencing, Mr. Greaves was visibly frustrated with the sentencing perimeters placed on Wilmot?s crime. With the omission of forged documents, the most serious of his offences meriting only a maximum of a $600 fine, Mr. Greaves said that he felt the seriousness of the crime deserved a far harsher penalty than a fine.

?This man should spend such a long time in jail that this court is unable to impose on him the sentence merited by his crime,? Greaves said.

?This man?s imprisonment should be long enough to protect the public,? Mr. Greaves said.

Mr. Greaves made the decision to commit Wilmot to Supreme Court for sentencing.