A teenager who stole $1,000 from his grandmother to buy drugs would have been punished by whipping if that was still legal, the Senior Magistrate said yesterday.

Archibald Warner made the remark to Stefan Durrant, who was in court after stealing cheques from Frances Durrant to buy cannabis.

The defendant?s mother Cosette Durrant is the trustee of his grandmother?s Bank of Bermuda account, explained Crown counsel Paula Tyndale.

Stefan Durrant, 18, had no right or permission to draw cheques from the account but took two cheques from his mother?s bedroom, along with others.

He was arrested by Police after making each of the two cheques out to himself to the tune of $500 and presenting them at a supermarket, having forged his grandmother?s signature.

Miss Tyndale told the court that Durrant had been apprehended by Police on the drugs charges after he rode past them on a motorcycle with no lights on at Middle Road, Sandys, at 12 a.m. on June 12.

He was found with 3.04 grams of cannabis, 0.28 grams of cannabis resin and a pipe for smoking it.

The court heard from the defendant?s mother, who explained that he was living with a friend at the time of the offences because she had kicked him out of home for bad behaviour, but that he was now back living with her at King Alfred Terrace, Dockyard.

Mrs. Durrant, the sole carer for her son, said she had taken him back to Market Place where he had apologised. She explained that he was looking for a job in order to pay the cash back and said that he needs counselling.

Mr. Warner replied to this: ?He needs more than counselling. He needs some licks, and I?m not joking at all.?

Turning to Stefan Durrant, Mr. Warner added: ?You steal your grandmother?s cheques to buy and smoke weed? You need some licks. They changed the law some years ago so that you can?t order whipping any more, but I didn?t change the law.?

Durrant pleaded guilty to stealing two Bank of Bermuda cheques between June 1 and 23. He admitted that on June 19 he forged his grandmother?s signature, presented a cheque to the sum of $500 at the Market Place store made payable to himself, and obtained goods from that shop with intent to defraud.

He also admitted that he had forged a second $500 cheque on June 23, presented it to the sum of $500 at Market Place made payable to himself and obtained goods from that shop with intent to defraud.

He asked for six other similar offences to be taken into consideration, and also pleaded guilty to a possessing cannabis and a pipe and Rizla papers for the use of that drug June 12.

Mr. Warner postponed sentencing Durrant until October 27, so that reports can be prepared. In the meantime, he granted him $1,000 bail on the condition of him observing a 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew.