A 32-year-old man began serving an 18-month prison term after pleading guilty to break and enter and assaulting his ex live-in girlfriend.

But he denied a charge of sexual assault and the Crown did not proceed with it.

Crown counsel Larry Mussenden told Magistrates' Court that though the relationship ended on August 10 of this year, the defendant has attempted to contact the complainant.

He was sent a letter telling him to vacate the premises.

But he made phone calls to the complainant at home and at work.

On September 23, he entered his ex-girlfriend's residence when she left a window slightly ajar.

The complainant -- upon recognising him -- pleaded for him to leave.

Police were called and he was arrested and remanded in custody.

It was revealed that he had a previous conviction with a six-month suspended prison sentence for destruction of the complainant's property.

Defence lawyer Marc Telemaque revealed that his client was currently on a treatment programme for a substance abuse problem.

Senior Magistrate Will Francis sentenced the man to 12 months in prison for the breaking and entering charge and six months for the assault. The sentences are to run concurrently.

He also activated the suspended six-month prison sentence which is to be served consecutively.

BORROWING CAR COSTS $800 CTS Borrowing car costs $800 Borrowing a car cost a Warwick man $800 yesterday.

Thirty-six-year-old Dean Anthony Smith, of Ocean Sands Drive, pleaded guilty in Magistrates' Court to driving an unlicensed motor vehicle on Kindley Field Road, St. George's on November 17 of last year.

But Smith maintained that he had borrowed the car from a friend's mother.

"She was tired, I said I would drive,'' he said. "I didn't know it wasn't licensed and insured.'' Senior Magistrate Will Francis was merciful on Smith, fining him $800.

He told Smith he could have fined him $900.

THOU SHALT NOT STEAL FROM THY MOTHER CTS Thou shalt not steal from thy mother Breaking into his mother's apartment and stealing a bag of potato chips cost a Hamilton Parish man $300.

Twenty-year-old Colston McKenzie, of Abbot's Cliff, pleaded guilty in Magistrates' Court to the charge of breaking and entering and theft of a bag of potato chips worth $2.

But he denied the charge of maliciously damaging the property of Timothy Rego on July 28.

Crown counsel Larry Mussenden told the court that on October 24, Evelyn McKenzie -- McKenzie's mother -- left her residence at Court Avenue, Paget at 5 a.m. for work.

At approximately 9.45 a.m. a neighbour called Ms McKenzie at work to tell her they heard someone entering her apartment.

She called her daughter and the Police and returned to her apartment.

They arrived to see McKenzie leaving the residence with another man.

When questioned, McKenzie said: "I guess I'm going to jail.'' McKenizie told Police that he only broke into his mother's apartment to sleep off a night on the town.

Senior Magistrate Will Francis fined him $300 and sentenced him to three months in prison, suspended for 12 months.

McKenzie was bailed in the sum of $500 bail with a surety and ordered to return to court for trial on February 25 for the maliciously damaging property charge.