A 32-year-old Pembroke man will spend the next seven years and nine months behind bars for multiple charges of assault and weapon possession.

John Sinclair Anderson appeared before Puisne Judge Vincent Meerabux in Supreme Court yesterday and pleaded guilty to three counts of causing bodily harm and two counts each of possessing a weapon, assault and committing wilful damage.

Crown counsel Juan Wolffe told the court that the St. Monica's Road man committed the offences between December of last year and March of this year.

Sgt. Nicholas Pedro took the witness stand and told the court of Anderson's numerous offences which dated back to 1985.

It also emerged that seven of the nine sentences which he was charged with were committed while he was on bail.

Mr. Wolffe gave the details surrounding the charges, which included an unprovoked machete attack against another man which nearly cost him his hand.

Anderson approached Oluf Ingemann, who was behind the wheel of his car, and swung the machete at him through the vehicle's window. Mr. Ingemann was struck in his right hand but escaped and fled to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital where surgeons repaired the damage to his hand.

In a second attack, Lionel Jones was walking by Anderson and some other people when Anderson hit him with a baseball bat.

And Trevor Lindsay was punched in the face by Anderson in the Bermuda Industrial Union's parking lot after he turned down his request for drugs and cash.

When arrested, Anderson kicked down a door and broke glass and some dry wall while in Police custody.

Mr. Justice Meerabux said: "Society needs to be protected from people like Mr. Anderson. A citizen should be able to walk without the fear of being attacked.'' Anderson was given the chance to address the court and began: "I apologise for my actions. I apologise to the community. I wish that I could take it back. I have a 13-year-old son...'' Mr. Meerabux interrupted him at that point and said: "You look like you have two good eyes, You look like you have two good hands and you look like you have two good ears so you can hear. You look a healthy individual.

"Using the child as a fraud not to face the music -- I expect you to be better than that. Using a child...they were your acts, not his acts.''