that he stole 100 methadone tablets from Addiction Services and attacked a worker.

Caines, 21, of Cedar Park Road, Devonshire, pleaded guilty on Monday to stealing a bottle containing 100 methadone tablets, possessing methadone and unlawfully assaulting Addiction Services male nurse Charles Williams. The offences occurred on September 5.

A heroin addict since the age of 16, Caines was suspended from the drug programme at the time of the incident but went to Addiction Services to get some methadone. Williams told him he had to wait six months to return to the programme which led to an argument.

Caines then grabbed a bottle of methadone tablets, valued at $31.68, and ran away.

Williams caught him outside Addiction Services' door where Caines punched him in the face and began kicking him. During the assault Caines dropped the methadone.

He later turned himself in to Police and said he was hurt that he had been dropped from the programme and needed the pills to ease the pain.

Senior Magistrate the Wor. Will Francis said: "If these courts do not do all they can to protect Addiction Services' personnel we all might as well forget the whole thing.'' He jailed Caines for three months for stealing the methadone, six months for possessing it and six months for the assault. All sentences are to run concurrently.