Thief trapped in the act

A homeless man appeared in Magistrates? Court yesterday to face charges of possession of a crack pipe and trying to cash a fraudulent cheque.

Abdul Ebbin, 34, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to possession of drug paraphernalia ? a pipe and broken piece of glass ? in Somerset, on November 22, 2002.

Crown counsel Dwayne Caines told the court Ebbin had been arrested for another matter when Police found the drug equipment on him.

Ebbin was supposed to have been in court on January 1 on the dishonesty charge, but never showed.

Mr. Caines told the Court that on July 1, 2003, the Stirling Paint Company premises on North Shore Road was broken into and two chequebooks were stolen.

One chequebook was from Continental Motors, which shared the same building as the paint company, and one chequebook was from Trade Industry.

The court heard that Ebbin was later seen entering the Church Street branch of the Bank of Bermuda.

He presented a Trade Industry cheque, along with his driver?s licence, and attempted to cash the $5,000 cheque.

The teller tried to cash it, but a ?stop payment? message appeared, Mr. Caines said.

Ebbin left the bank but his image was caught on surveillance cameras. Ebbin was soon arrested and questioned, to which he replied ?no comment?.

Mr. Caines said the Crown was pushing for ?an immediate custodial sentence? as Ebbin had pleaded guilty to receiving and fraudulently uttering the stolen cheque.

Yesterday, Ebbin claimed he did not steal the cheque.

?I did something for somebody and he gave me that,? he said.

Ebbin was fined $600 ? or 70 days in jail ? for possession the crack pipe

He was also fined $600 ? or six months in jail ? on the forged cheque charge.

Woman denies resisting arrest