Man accused of knife possession elects Supreme Court trial

A man accused of illegally possessing an eight-inch knife in a public place faces trial at Supreme Court.

Ezra Williams, 22, pleaded not guilty to committing the alleged offence in Pembroke on April 23 when he appeared before a Magistrate on Wednesday.

Williams, of Rambling Lane, Pembroke, elected trial by jury in the higher court.

He was granted bail in the amount of $2,000 with a like surety, and must appear before Magistrates’ Court again for an administrative hearing on May 9.Police catch Warwick man with drug in handsA quick move by a Warwick man didn’t pay off when Police caught him with cannabis in his hands.

Rodre Desmond Wilson, 29, of St. Mary’s Road, pleaded guilty in Magistrates’ Court to possessing 0.6 grammes of the drug.

Crown counsel Maria Sofianos told the court that on August 26, 2006, Police were on mobile patrol at the junction of Court and Angle Street at 2.29 p.m. when they saw Wilson acting suspiciously.

Officers approached him and told him they wanted to search him under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Before they began their search, they saw him drop a brown paper twist from his right hand.

Upon inspection, officers found a plant-like substance inside the paper and Wilson told them: “It’s weed, I told you that it’s weed, I ain’t going to lie to you.”

He was arrested on suspicion of having a controlled drug, and taken to the Hamilton Police Station.

It was later determined by a Government analyst that the substance was cannabis.

Magistrate Khamisi Tukunbo fined Wilson $1,000 after it was revealed he had two previous convictions for the same offence.

Suspended prison sentence for theft of steaks

A 44-year-old Smith’s man received a suspended prison sentence for stealing two steaks.

Andrew Noah Simons, of Spanish View Road, pleaded guilty in Magistrates’ Court to stealing two sirloin steaks and cinnamon rolls from Arnold’s Family Foods, in St. Johns Road.

Crown counsel Maria Sofianos told the court that on March 29, Simons entered the store wearing a helmet and jacket while making his way to the meat department.

When staff grew suspicious of his activities, they monitored him through surveillance cameras and saw him stuff two steaks in his jacket, before paying for two candy bars and one steak at a cash register.

After leaving the store, management detained him and recovered two steaks from inside his jacket and a package of cinnamon rolls fell out of his pants.

He was arrested after Police were called and was taken to the Hamilton Police Station.

When Magistrate Khamisi Tukunbo asked Simons to explain his actions, he said: “I took them without paying, I’m very sorry your honour.

“At the time I was intoxicated and I didn’t have any plans on doing it,” before Mr. Tukunbo replied: “It’s not a mistake you haven’t made before is it?”

Simons admitted to having an alcohol addiction and said he was attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings recently after he first quit it.

It was also revealed that he had previous convictions.

“Because of your record, the appropriate sentence for you is one of imprisonment,” ruled Mr. Tukunbo, before sentencing him to six months at Westgate, suspended for 18 months.