mother from prison.

Ministry coordinator Glenn Caines said the Fellowship could help his cousin Sharon Laverne Caines -- who admitted in Magistrates' Court to obtaining more than $3,000 in cash and clothing through forgery -- get back on the right track.

The court heard that Caines, of Woodlawn Road, Sandys Parish, forged, uttered, and obtained $900 from the Bank of Bermuda in June after cashing a cheque reported to be signed by Ralph Franklin.

The unemployed woman also forged, uttered, and obtained $950 and $900 on separate occasions in December after cashing cheques reported to be signed by Sydney Corbett and Harold Duncan, respectively.

She also admitted stealing and cashing a Bermuda Government pension cheque of $519.43 belonging to 72-year-old Edward Ball and forging Trimingham Brothers invoices in the name of employee Toniiae Smith in order to obtain $1,049.30 worth of goods.

Insp. Peter Duffy, prosecuting, said Caines has a lengthy criminal record of dishonest offences dating back to October, 1978.

He noted that she spent more than four years in prison during the past ten years.

But Caines' lawyer, Mr. Tim Marshall asked Senior Magistrate the Wor. Will Francis to consider Caines' guilty plea and cooperation with Police.

"The question to be asked is can Miss Caines be helped,'' Mr. Marshall said.

"She's had a very difficult childhood. A great deal of her youth was spent incarcerated.'' Mr. Marshall said Caines was under a great deal of stress and "needed to keep a roof over her head and food on her table'' when she committed the offences.

He pointed out that since the offences she has been seeking help through the Prison Fellowship of Bermuda. He also added that Caines could obtain more help outside prison.

Mr. Marshall recommended that a suspended sentence or probation with onerous conditions be considered.

In a letter to Mr. Francis, Caines admitted that she "messed up''. She also said she attempted suicide before realising she has to straighten up her life.

She begged Mr. Francis to impose a suspended sentence or hours of community service instead of prison, adding that if she committed an offence again she "would take any punishment given''.

Glenn Caines said he believed that Caines was sincere about improving her life this time.

"I have been encouraged by the desire of Sharon and that is the only reason why, as ministry coordinator of Prison Fellowship of Bermuda, I've involved myself with this,'' he said.

He explained that Caines could join the Prison Fellowship's "Adopt An Ex-mate or Inmate'' programme which allows a church to assume some responsibility for the person while that person is accountable to those involved in the programme.

He said he believed Caines' behaviour is a result of a "strained relationship in her life'' and low self esteem "which can be rectified from a spiritual aspect. I feel that area can be filled by the Fellowship''.

But Insp. Duffy pointed out that Caines was given a suspended sentence, in 1988, which she breached.

"I will try to go some way to what Mr. Marshall and everybody's urged me to do,'' Mr. Francis told Caines, before giving her a two-and-a-half year prison sentence suspended for two years and ordering her to pay fines totaling more than $5,000.

Caines was also ordered to compensate her victims from that $5,000 before the end of the year or spend time in prison.

"I'm giving you a chance,'' Mr. Francis said. "As Mr. Marshall so eloquently said there's some very strong teeth in a suspended sentence. One slip and those teeth will come down.''