was sentenced yesterday in Supreme Court for offensive behaviour.

David Anthony Brangman, 31, was fined $600 by the Chief Justice the Hon.

Austin Ward after a jury convicted him of the charge on Monday.

Before sentencing, investigating officer Det. Con. Terence Maxwell told the court Brangman had a number of previous convictions.

Among these were: 1980, possession of cannabis; 1986, Magistrates' Court conviction for assaulting two Police officers; 1991, Conditional six-month discharge in Magistrates' Court for offensive behaviour, and; 1991, possession of cannabis.

On Monday a Supreme Court jury could not reach a verdict on charges of assaulting P.c. James Walters and P.c. James Outerbridge on June 11 1992 with Chemical Shield and violently resisting arrest.

Brangman will appear for mention in Supreme Court on March 1 pending a re-trial.

Yesterday, Brangman claimed the 1986 conviction for assaulting two Police officers was not his, citing a case of mistaken identity.

Lawyer Mr. Michael Scott, representing Brangman, said his client was in the United States at the time, "cleaning up his act.'' Brangman later told the court he spent six months in a drug rehabilitation centre in the United States beginning in 1985.

The Chief Justice agreed to disregard the conviction before passing sentence.

But he reprimanded Brangman for his involvement with drugs.

"You expose yourself to someone calling you a druggie. The allegation of drug use is what caused this whole explosion,'' he said.

He referred to Brangman's allegation that he was provoked by P.c.

Outerbridge who called him a drug dealer prior to the alleged assault.

But the Chief Justice told Brangman he should have walked away.

"It's the way he (Brangman) took issue. He can object but the way he did it became offensive behaviour,'' he said. "The only defence I know for offensive words is to walk away.'' Brangman earlier told the court that in the 18 months prior to the alleged assault he had been a victim of Police harassment.

He said his Middle Road candy store, Country Candy was regularly targetted by Police after members of the public, "jealous'' that he had kicked his drug habit, claimed he sold drugs to children and laundered drugs money.

Brangman was given two weeks to pay the fine.