Plea Court was a gridlock of traffic violators yesterday who had been arrested after either missing their court dates or failing to pay outstanding fines.

A 20-year-old Warwick man will spend up to seven months in jail after failing to pay four fines.

Michael Eugene Smith of Jones Village in Warwick, was sentenced to 229 days in prison by Magistrate Edward King after he failed to pay his fines in October.

He had been given the option of paying the fines, but chose to go to prison instead.

Smith had been stopped for numerous traffic violations, including speeding and not having a drivers? licence, and a warrant had been issued for his arrest after he missed the deadline to pay the fines.

Tyone Fubler, 25 of Farm Stead Lane, Somerset, pleaded guilty to three traffic violations and not guilty to allegedly obstructing a Police officer in the course of his duties.

Warrants were issued for Fubler?s arrest after he failed to appear for court for speeding in February, October and November last year. He was fined a total of $790 for the three offences.

Fubler also pleaded not guilty to obstructing a Police officer in July, 2001, in Sandys.

The matter will go to trial in the Magistrates? Court on January 18 and Fubler was given until January 21 to pay his fines.

A 24-year-old Hamilton man, Mervin Headlam, was also fined $550 yesterday for various traffic violations.

Warrants had been issued for his arrest after he failed to appear in court in November and December last year.

Headlam pleaded guilty to speeding on October 4 along Middle Road in Paget and guilty to driving without a licence on the same day.

He also pleaded guilty to driving without a licence on November 19 when Police stopped him.

Headlam told the court he missed his court dates because he had lost the tickets.

Meanwhile a 32-year-old Happy Valley resident appeared in court after having four warrants issued for his arrest.

Franklyn Pearman pleaded guilty to the traffic violations which all took place on June 28 last year.

He was stopped on the corner of Victoria and Cedar Avenue in Hamilton after disobeying a traffic sign, riding an unlicensed and uninsured motorcycle and riding without having a driver?s licence.

He was fined a total of $2,250.

In another matter in Plea Court, a 35-year-old Southampton woman pleaded guilty to driving an unlicensed motorcar in November.

Rosheena Beek told the court that she had just paid the insurance on the Friday and would have gone to TCD on the Monday to license the car, but had been stopped by Police before she could do so.

Mr. King asked her when the licence had expired to which Beek replied, October.

?Unlicensed cars should be impounded in this country,? Mr. King said. ?The maximum fine I can give you is still less than what it costs to have the motor vehicle licensed and either this fine should be increased or cars should be impounded.?

He said something needed to be done to prevent people from driving unlicensed cars in Bermuda.

?You should be prevented from driving off in that car once the fine has been issued. You should be paying to have the car towed to TCD where you won?t leave in it until it?s licensed,? he added.

Beek was fined $750 and has until January 14 to pay the fine.