A Hamilton man narrowly avoided a prison sentence when he was convicted of drunk driving for the second time in just over two years.

Tiberio Demederios Amaral, 42, of Reid Street, was fined $1,000 and banned from driving all vehicles for one year in Magistrates' Court yesterday after he admitted driving with almost four times the legal limit of alcohol in his blood.

Magistrate Edward King said a prison sentence would have been imposed if he had re-offended within two years.

But Amaral, who was last convicted of drunk driving on June 12, 2002, beat a trip to Westgate Correctional Facility by two weeks since he was arrested on June 26, 2004.

Crown counsel Oonagh Vaucrossen said an off-duty Police officer observed a Black Opel car travelling west on North Shore Road in Smith's when the car veered into the wrong lane and into the path of a bus before braking sharply.

The Policeman followed the car to Robinson's Bay Park in Devonshire where Amaral had stopped.

He was arrested and then taken to Hamilton Police Station under suspicion of driving under the influence.

After a breathalyser test, Amaral had a level of 307 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood .

The legal level is 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood.

George Gilbert, 52, of Queen Street, St. George's, also pleaded guilty to drunk driving yesterday.

Mrs. Vaucrossen said at 5.15 a.m. on November 13, Police approached Gilbert, whose breath smelled of alcohol and was unsteady on his feet, at a gas station.

But when they saw Gilbert about to get on his bike, they advised him to take make alternative travel arrangements and he walked off.

But shortly afterwards, Police spotted Gilbert getting on his cycle again. A breathalyser test recorded 109 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood.

Gilbert was fined $1,000 and disqualified from driving all vehicles for 12 months.

Man denies threatening Police

A St. George's man charged with swearing and throwing a glass at three Police Officers on Sunday will return to court for trial later this month. Gordon Reginald Brown, 23, of Queen Street, pleaded guilty in Magistrates' Court to using offensive words and using an offensive gesture to a Police officer on Reid Street in Pembroke on January 30.

Brown pleaded guilty to those charges, but denied uttering threatening words and throwing the glass.

Magistrate Edward King granted Brown bail of $500.

The Crown counsel was Oonagh Vaucrossen and the duty counsel was Michelle St. Jane.

Money used to buy cocaine joint

A thief had to be escorted out of Magistrates' Court last week after he was sentenced to nine months imprisonment and three years probation for stealing a wallet.

Andrew Gavin Arorash, 35, Swansbay Hill, Pembroke, pleaded guilty to stealing a wallet with $6 inside it on January 27.

Crown counsel Wayne Caines said the complainant, Earl Tucker, of Ewing Street, Pembroke, parked his car, locking all of the doors except for the rear hatchback.

Mr. Tucker later saw Arorash check all the car doors, before he climbed through the rear hatchback, and took the item.

“He used the money to buy a cocaine joint,” Mr. Caines said.

Police later arrested Arorash walking on Happy Valley Road with the stolen wallet.

After Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner sentenced Arorash to nine months prison, followed by three years probation on the condition he accepted and entered a drug treatment programme.

“I'll take my nine months,” Arorash told the judge before Police had to escort him back to the cells.

Thirsty thief sentenced for break-in

A Sandys man was yesterday sentenced to six months in prison for stealing a bottle of beer and breaking and entering the Mid Atlantic Sports & Boat Club in Devonshire on January 30.

He also pleaded guilty to carrying a screwdriver.

Kevin Angelo Trott, 52, of Cooks Hill Road, also pleaded guilty to carrying a screwdriver to gain entry to the premises.

Crown counsel Oonagh Vaucrossen said Police responded to an alarm at the club early on Sunday morning, two hours after the club was closed.

They noticed a broken window and found Trott inside the club. They also found an empty bottle of Carlsberg Elephant beer in a trash can and a bottle of Cockspur rum on the floor.

Mrs. Vaucrossen said Trott admitted drinking the bottle of beer and planned to take the bottle of rum.

The self-employed labourer had similar convictions in the past.

He was also ordered to pay $320 in old fines.

“You are a repeat offender who was caught with his hand in the cookie jar,” Magistrate Edward King said.

Drugs charges denied by Jamaican

A Jamaican man living at Rock Valley, Warwick pleaded not guilty in Supreme Court yesterday to charges of importing 939.81 grams of cocaine from Jamaica and possession of drugs with the intent to sell. Lincoln George Brown, 37, was arrested on April 5, 2003, at Bermuda International Airport for allegedly importing the cocaine with a street value of about $234,960.

Crown counsel Anthony Blackman told Puisne Judge Charles-Etta Simmons and the jury of nine woman and three men that Brown had been stopped and searched by a narcotics officer.

He told the court that the officer found eight pairs of jeans in Brown's luggage and upon searching them found seven of the jeans had pouches taped to the inside back pockets.

Mr. Blackman said the contents of the pouches were analysed and found to contain cocaine. Brown is represented by Shade Subair and the case continues today.