drug record until last year.

Truck driver Neville St. Clair Tucker, of Wellman Lane, Southampton, was released yesterday on $2,000 bail with a condition he report to Hamilton Police Station twice a week.

Tucker pleaded guilty before Senior Magistrate Will Francis to dozens of charges of stealing, forging, and uttering cheques, and obtaining goods by false pretences.

The offences occurred in April and earlier this month.

In all, Tucker received $7,000 in cash and property from the Bank of N.T.

Butterfield and employees of Darby's Water trucking, the Tucker Corporation, Modern Mart, and Specialty Products.

He also asked that six other offences be taken into consideration when he is sentenced.

Between April 6 and 9 he entered the home of Terry Powell, while employed as a painter, and stole five cheques. He entered the house to ostensibly close a window.

On April 27 Tucker took three cheques from the truck of businessman Edward Tucker after asking for a job. He is not related to Mr. Tucker.

And Tucker admitted stealing two cheques from Grant Darby on August 3.

A hurried Mr. Darby had left the signed cheque on the counter at Riddle's Bay Gas Station, expecting staff to handle the rest of the transaction. But Tucker intervened.

From all the thefts, he obtained food and cash from the Modern Mart, cash and a $800 television set from Hillview Video, and several thousand dollars from a bank by duping an acquaintance to cash-in the cheques.

Tucker admitted to Police he had a heroin addiction and was recently divorced from his wife. Tucker has no previous drug convictions.

Duty counsel Michelle St. James told Mr. Francis: "I think it would be appropriate, especially in these circumstances, to ask for a social inquiry report.'' Mr. Francis agreed, saying he would want to know "precisely what's going on'' in Tucker's life.

Mr. Francis ordered Tucker to return to court on September 27 for sentencing, and added: "Let's see what probation officers can come up with. Hopefully the Police and probation officers can keep you out of temptation or at least from using temptation.''