A Magistrate this week sent a 26-year-old man to Supreme Court for sentencing after he determined that his powers to sentence were insufficient.

Chris Winslow Ray of Spring Hill, Warwick, pleaded guilty to breaking and entering Abyssinia Imports and stealing cash and equipment worth $200 when he appeared before Magistrate Edward King.

Ray, who is currently serving a two year prison sentence at Westgate, broke into Abyssinia Imports in Pembroke on February 20 and stole a cash register valued at $150 and $50 cash.

Police Prosecutor Sgt. Anthony Mouchette said that Ray admitted that he smashed the front glass door and entered the shop when he was questioned at Hamilton Police Station on April 2.

Sgt. Mouchette asked the court not to penalise Ray any further because he has already admitted 39 other offences and had cooperated fully with Police.

However, Mr. King denied the request because he said that Ray was a professional criminal and deserved a bigger punishment than his powers allowed.

TRUCK DRIVER ALLOWED TO KEEP LICENCE DESPITE DRIVING WHILE DRUNK CTS Truck driver allowed to keep licence despite driving while drunk A 30-year-old truck driver was allowed to keep his commercial vehicle licence this week after pleading guilty in Magistrates' Court to driving while impaired.

Prosecutor Sgt. Anthony Mouchette said Roderick Thompson of Pembroke was stopped by Police at 2.15 a.m. on June 6 on the corner of Court and Dundonald Street and asked for his licence.

The officers noticed that his breath smelled of alcohol and his eyes were glazed.

Thompson, who also pleaded guilty to driving with no third party insurance on May 5, had 132 milligrams of alcohol in his blood. The legal limit is 80 milligrams.

Taking into account the fact that driving was how Thompson, "earned his bread'' Magistrate Edward King allowed Thompson to keep his commercial vehicle licence.

But Mr. King banned him from driving all other vehicles for 12 months and fined him $600 for driving while impaired and $450 for no third party insurance.

SENT TO PRISON FOR ILLEGAL CALLS CTS Sent to prison for illegal calls A 38-year-old man who made more than 90 illegal phone calls was sent to prison for three months when he appeared in Magistrates' Court this week.

John Steven DaCosta, of Cambridge Apartment's, Sandys, pleaded guilty to two charges of dishonesty using the telephone.

Police prosecutor Sgt. Anthony Mouchette said that DaCosta broke into a junction box near his home and illegally used the phone line of a female resident sometime between October 23 and November 26, 1996.

DaCosta then made $372.33 worth of phone calls to New York. Between December 5 and December 31 he made use of another phone line to make 93 calls to his girlfriend who was in New York at college.

These calls totalled $1,115.90 and DaCosta admitted both offences to Police on February 18.

Magistrate Edward King sentenced DaCosta to three months in prison for each offence. Both terms will run concurrently.

CRUISE PASSENGER FINED FOR DRUGS CTS Cruise passenger fined for drugs A 23-year-old cruise ship passenger was fined $450 this week in Magistrates' Court for possessing 0.04 grams of cannabis.

Kevin Cbaszczewski, 23, a college student from New York, was travelling on the Dreamward when the offence occurred on June 16.

Prosecutor Sgt. Anthony Mouchtte said Customs officers searched Cbaszczewski and found him with a clear plastic bottle containing a roach clip. He was then taken to his cabin where a pipe containing 0.04 grams of cannabis was discovered.

Police were called and Cbaszczewski was arrested and taken to St. George's Police Station and charged.

Magistrate Edward King fined Cbaszczewski $200 for the cannabis and $250 for the pipe.

IMPAIRED DRIVER TAKEN OFF THE ROAD CTS Impaired driver taken off the road A 55-year-old farmhand was banned from driving all vehicles for a year and fined $600 yesterday in Magistrates' Court for driving while impaired.

Prosecutor Sgt. Anthony Mouchette said that on May 24 at 11 p.m., Police came upon an accident on Southcourt Avenue, Paget involving a dump truck driven by Joel Harrison, of Cavendish Heights, Devonshire and a taxi.

Sgt. Mouchette said that when Police interviewed Harrison they noticed that his breath smelled of alcohol and his eyes were glazed.

Harrison was arrested and taken to Hamilton Police Station were he refused to take a breath test.

Before being sentenced, Harrison asked Magistrate Edward King to allow him to keep his car licence in order to get to work but was turned down.

DRUNK DRIVER SWORE AT THE POLICE CTS Drunk driver swore at the Police A 34-year-old Devonshire man left Magistrates' Court $650 poorer yesterday after he pleaded guilty to driving with more than twice the legal limit of alcohol in his blood and swearing at Police officers.

Howard Dwayne Burgess, of Dock Hill, was charged with driving while impaired, and using offensive words in a public place.

Crown counsel Lesley Basden said that Burgess was seen driving at a high speed on Malabar Road in Sandys.

When Police stopped him outside the Clocktower at Dockyard, they noticed an open bottle of Heineken between his legs.

When questioned about the bottle, Burgess replied: "I'm just holding it for a friend''.

Police then asked Burgess to step out of the car and noticed that his eyes were bloodshot and he smelled of alcohol.

When asked if he had been drinking, Burgess claimed that he only had one beer.

Upon being arrested, Burgess started swearing at the Police.

Police warned Burgess about his language but he swore at them again.

He agreed to take a breathalyser test, and it was discovered that he had 168 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood which is more than twice the legal limit of 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood.

Burgess yesterday claimed he used offensive language in response to offensive language from Police.

Senior Magistrate Will Francis fined Burgess $450 and disqualified him from driving all vehicles for one year for the drunk driving offence.

And an additional $200 for using offensive language.