punishment after the owner acknowledged the theft as a practical joke.

At a previous appearance in Magistrates' Court, Gary Cook, of South Road, denied stealing the apple crumble pie from the After Hours Restaurant on October 8.

The court heard that Cook was leaving the restaurant with the pie during the early morning hours when two Policemen entered on a break from duty.

Officers heard one of the restaurant's workers yelling for Cook to stop, and promptly arrested him, recovering the $24 pie.

Police prosecutor Insp. Peter Duffy said: "The complainant accepts that it was a practical joke with no intention to permanently deprive him of the fruit pie.'' Before he was allowed to leave the court, Cook was given a warning from acting magistrate the Wor. Charlesetta Simmons: "We all like to play jokes from time to time,'' she said. "You should be more careful as to what kind.''