‘Just shoplifting and not stealing'

A man denied stealing a woman's wallet and leather purse yesterday, telling Magistrates' Court that he was “just shoplifting and not stealing”.

Cyril Tucker, of no fixed abode, was charged with stealing $250.21 in cash from the wallet and personal papers from Shannon Saunders in Pembroke on July 5. He pleaded not guilty.

Mr. Tucker told the court that the woman was rushing around the Woman's Shop that afternoon, screaming like something was wrong and he could not understand the confusion.

A trial date was set for July 13.

Man planned to pay for chocolate bar

A man charged with stealing a Cadbury chocolate bar told Magistrates' Court he intended to pay for the treat but had left his money at home.

Randolph Eugene Mills, 63, of St. George's, said on Wednesday that he was shopping at Somers Grocery store and had put the $1.45 chocolate bar in the waist band of his trousers. He said he intended to pay for the chocolate with the rest of his groceries.

He added he rested his groceries on the counter and left the shop to get the money he had mistakenly left in another pair of trousers. Mills said a manager at the shop stopped him on his way out and asked why he had tucked the chocolate in his pants.

Senior Magistrate Archie Warner gave Mills an absolute discharge.

French doors smashed at St. George's Club

A man smashed the French doors of the St. George's Club bar after getting in a shouting match with security guards, Magistrates' Court heard yesterday.

Tameiko Wainwright, 27, of Union Street, Pembroke said he was sorry for his actions and was “willing to pay for the glass”.

The court heard that Wainwright, who pleaded guilty, smashed the door after getting into a row with security personnel outside the bar on June 30.

Senior Magistrate Archie Warner fined Wainwright $500 and ordered him to pay $466 in compensation to the complainant.

Repeat offender took wallet from van

A repeat offender was fined $200 in Magistrates' Court after admitting he stole a wallet from a van.

He was also ordered to repay the $150 it contained.

Richard Dill, 35, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to picking the wallet up from the ashtray of an unlocked van parked outside the complainant's home on June 7.

Dill said that he had been hungry at the time.

The wallet contained $150 in cash as well as credit cards. Dill also stole a pocket knife from the van.

After the complainant reported the theft, the Police forensic unit identified the fingerprints of Dill, who has been convicted on several similar offences. He was arrested last Monday.

Dill told Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner that he had just started a construction job and was “getting his act together”.

Mr. Warner fined Dill and ordered him to pay back the wallet's owner.

Pitbull dogs didn't get proper medical care

A man who was charged with causing two pitbull dogs to suffer by failing to provide medical care pleaded guilty in Magistrates' Court this week.

Anthony Vickers, 36, of Southampton, told Senior Magistrate Archie Warner on Wednesday he had never received summonses for the charges and knew nothing about them.

Vickers was charged with causing both the female and male pitbulls to suffer by failing to provide the necessary medical attention.

The court heard that on December 9, 2001 Vickers kept more than two dogs at his Southampton property without a licence from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.

He also faced additional charges for not holding a licence for a red male pitbull and for having a red female pitbull without a licence.

Vickers, who also appeared in court for not having a third party insurance on his motorbike, said he “knew nothing about the dog offences”.

Vickers will return to court next month for mention.

Drunk driver jailed for six weeks

A 30-year-old man caught drunk driving for the second time in less than two years was sent to jail for six weeks.

Javon Butterfield, of Verdmont Road, Smith's, pleaded guilty to the charge in Magistrates' Court last Thursday.

Crown counsel Shakira Dill told the court that on May 30 Butterfield was riding his motorcycle on Corkscrew Hill when he lost control and fell to the side of the road.

Ms Dill said that Butterfield told Police he had only a few drinks and that twice he failed to blow hard enough for the breathalyser test so it was recorded as a refusal to take the test.

The court heard that Butterfield was previously taken off the road for a year for drunk driving.

“I can't get locked up ... I have two children,” Butterfield said.

Acting Senior Magistrate Carlisle Greaves said that he should of thought about that before. “You knew you had children at the time, or did you just find out this morning?”

Mr. Greaves jailed Butterfield and took him off the road for two years.