Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner told a vagrant to go back and drink in St. George’s after he pleaded guilty to drinking in public — in Hamilton. Alvin (Alabama) Anderson, 64, of Old Maid’s Lane, St. George’s, was approached by Police officers on June 12 when they saw him on Front Street drinking out of a half litre bottle of liquor. They informed him of the offence then moved on.

Twenty minutes later, Anderson was sitting on the steps of Bank of Bermuda on Front Street drinking out of a Cockspur rum bottle. He was arrested and taken to Hamilton Police Station.

The defendant explained his actions yesterday in Magistrates’ Court. “The Front Street drinking didn’t have nothing to do with the Reid Street drinking. I need to stop drinking Cockspur. That stuff don’t agree with me,” he said.

Magistrate Warner quipped: “Why don’t you stay in St. George’s and drink? They don’t have a Police Station any more.”

Anderson received a 12-month conditional discharge with the condition that he stay away from Hamilton until the Cup Match holiday.