A Pembroke man caught stealing from a ferry at the Marine and Ports headquarters narrowly escaped being jailed yesterday.André Simmons, 47, of Curving Avenue, admitted trespassing at the Crow Lane facility on December 27, 2012.The court heard a worker on one of the ferries spotted Simmons, whom he recognised, slipping on board the Resolute at 10.15pm.He pushed his hand into the token box and fled when the employee called out, but was subsequently arrested.Simmons told Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner he’d been tipped by another person that the ferry’s token box, which police found damaged, was already broken and easy to take from.“It was just an opportunity and a bad thought,” he said, insisting he’d only tried to catch a bus home.Mr Warner called the explanation “foolishness”, telling him: “You’ve been stealing and taking things which don’t belong to you ever since 1987.”Simmons pleaded for leniency, telling Mr Warner he had a job as a busboy at Mr Chicken.Mr Warner sentenced him to six months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years.The court also heard Simmons used offensive words towards police on December 6 on Queen Street, telling an officer “Look what the f**k you’re doing” as they exited a marked police car.Mr Warner fined him $800, ordering him to pay $400 forthwith.