nightclubs during a curfew.

Donald Gilbert Aitken, 19, of Knapton Hill, Smith's, was spotted in both Oscar's and Scandals after midnight despite a Magistrates' Court bail condition that he should be home between midnight and 6 a.m.

Aitken has been on $2,000 bail since January 18, when he was charged with the destruction of four cars by fire, theft of $2,745 in property and attempted theft. He denies all three offences.

His bail included the surrender of all travel documents and reporting to Hamilton Police Station once a week. However, it was the curfew condition that landed him back in court last week.

Prosecuting, Sgt. Earl Kirby said that Aitken had been seen in Oscar's at 12.15 a.m. earlier this month. Around 12.30 the same morning he was seen in Scandals.

Sgt. Kirby said: "He was seen by people who knew he was on a curfew and they reported him to the Police.'' Aitken's lawyer Mr. Tim Marshall said that the teenager had been out with his 38-year-old aunt. "He believed that if he was with a responsible adult he would not be in violation of his bail conditions.

"I have explained to him in forceful terms that it does not matter even if he is out with his grandfather, he cannot break the conditions of his bail.'' Mr. Marshall said that both Aitken and his aunt had apologised about the incident and that his client had found that spending a evening in the Police station was not a pleasant experience.

Magistrate the Wor. John Judge accepted Aitken's explanation, but warned him that any further violation of bail could have serious consequences.