restaurant owner with a knife, warned him on Monday that he could end up killing someone unless he gets treatment for his drug problem.

Puisne Judge Charles-Etta Simmons said Eli Rashid Hill, of Smith's Avenue, Warwick, had no idea about the difficult realities of drug addiction.

Ms Justice Simmons sent Hill to prison for two years for assaulting and attempting to rob Emilio Barbieri, the managing director of the Little Venice group of restaurants, and attempting to steal a $2,000 bracelet from an American visitor, Ray German.

At the Supreme Court on Monday, she told Hill: "Unless you take advantage of every agency out there, you're going to be back here again.

"You've already picked up a weapon and you're going to do it again and unless the drugs kill you, you're going to kill someone unless you get yourself sorted out.

When 24-year-old Hill replied: "I'm just glad to be off it.'' Ms Justice Simmons retorted: "You're not off it by a long way. Come back here in ten years time and tell me you haven't touched it and tell me you've helped ten others.'' Senior Crown counsel Peter Eccles said Mr. German was on Front Street at 3 p.m. on June 29 last year when he felt Hill try to twist his wrist to remove the bracelet.

Minutes later, Mr. Barbieri was walking to his car in the Par-la-Ville car park when Hill jumped on him from behind and put him in a headlock.

Hill punched Mr. Barbieri about the head and squeezed his throat as he tried to wrestle him to the ground. Mr. Barbieri managed to break free but Hill demanded to hand over his wallet.

When Mr. Barbieri said he had no wallet, Hill warned him he had a knife and flashed an open blade. As he came towards him, Mr. Barbieri darted off, shouting for help.

Hill, who pleaded guilty to both offences, said he had been smoking crack since he was 18, sometimes taking $1,000 worth of the drug in a night.

Ms Justice Simmons asked Hill's lawyer Richard Horseman: "Why did he not know before he touched the drug the first time that what was going to happen did? Did he think he was smarter?'' Hill claimed he did not know the effects of crack until he started taking it, but Ms Justice Simmons replied: "You never saw the addicts in Court Street or read in the newspaper about attempted robberies and killing people and breaking into places? "You never heard of that before you tried it? When you were 18 you didn't know the effects of drugs on society? You're honestly telling me that? Your parents never warned you about drugs?''