Cruise trio fined for drug offences

Three cruise ship passengers appeared in court last week charged with importing cannabis into the Island.

Marcia Price, 46, from Pennsylvania, admitted bringing 7.87 grams of cannabis into Bermuda on a cruise ship in 13 hand-rolled cigarettes.

Gary Vitro, 29, from New York, admitted bringing 2.25 grams of cannabis on a cruise ship after his cabin was searched by Police and Customs officials.

And Alisa Ziolkowski, 37, from New York, also admitted importing 12.48 grams of cannabis onto the Island on a cruise ship after her cabin was searched on Wednesday.

They were each fined $1,000 for importation and ordered to pay it yesterday, or face 90 days in jail.

Bike bans imposed for speeding

Three people were banned from riding bikes on the roads for a year on Friday after admitting speeding at more than 70 kph.

Rory Johns, 32, of Aerial View, Devonshire, pleaded guilty to riding a rental bike at 71 kph earlier this year and was fined $350.

Elvis Tavares, 43, of Middle Road, Warwick, admitted speeding at 78 kph across the Causeway in July of this year. He was fined $450.

And Matthew Wilkinson, 41, of Palm Valley, Southampton, was fined $350 after pleading guilty to speeding at 73 kph. He was also fined $250 for riding an unlicensed bike and $1,000 for having no third party insurance.

They were all banned from riding bikes for a year by Acting Senior Magistrate Carlisle Greaves.

Spear fishing leads to $250 fine

A man was fined $250 in Magistrates' Court on Friday after pleading guilty to spear fishing within the shores of Bermuda. Mitchell DeSheilds, 34, of Seagull Lane, Pembroke, was told to pay the fine straight away for the July 23 offence or face 40 days in jail.

Unintended finale to Hindu festival

A Southampton man's Hindu religious festival ended with an upside down car and an impaired driving conviction.

Govinda Chittibabu, 37, had celebrated the Shree Krishna event with friends on August 20 this year but at 1.05 a.m. Police found his Ford Laser upside-down on South Road, near Warwick Camp, after a single vehicle accident, Magistrates' Court heard.

His breath smelt of alcohol and his speech was slurred although he told Police he had only "a couple of beers", the court was told.

Mr. Chittibabu, who has worked for 12 years at the Brunswick Street Bakery and has no previous convictions, was fined $1,000 and disqualified from driving all vehicles for 12 months.