UBP silent on gay rights amendment

The United Bermuda Party has no position at present on the proposed sexual orientation human rights amendment.

Party Leader Grant Gibbons said last night that the matter was being discussed in caucus. ?We?re interested to see whether Government knows where it?s going on the issue,? he said. ?They seem to be flip-flopping all over the place.?

He could not say when the UBP would come to its own position.

Government is planning to bring changes to the Human Rights Act which would prohibit discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation.

The news has caused some consternation among conservative church denominations and Premier Alex Scott last week said it was not a high priority of his Government.

Appeals court sends man to prison for 15 months

A St. George?s man was sentenced to 15 months in prison after the Court of Appeals overturned the defence?s bid to quash his conviction.

Gregory Millington Johnson, 21, of Talvera Lane, St. George?s, was convicted in May, 2004, of wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm to Justin Ingemann.

Judge Ian Kawaley had sentenced him to three years jail, suspended for three years, for the attack outside Cousins Variety and Selena?s Restaurant in St. George?s on March 7 last year.

Last Monday, in front of the Appeals Court, defence lawyer Victoria Pearman argued that Mr. Kawaley had not given adequate direction on self defence, fearing the jury would not believe the principle of self defence could apply if Johnson had originally provoked the attack.

However, Appeals Court President Edward Zacca said Johnson?s case had been that Ingemann had a knife and he defended himself but the jury decided there was no knife and it was unprovoked assault. The appeal against conviction was dismissed.

The Crown went on to appeal the sentence with prosecutor Anthony Blackman saying a jail term of 18 months would have been more appropriate rather than a suspended term.

He read from a victim impact statement in which Ingemann said he had suffered stuttering, slurred speech and headaches since the incident, which had never been the case before. He said: ?I cannot think straight, I have problems remembering things.?

He said the attack had affected his ability to work as he found it hard to focus. However, Ms Pearman said: ?He seems to say he feels slower but he can do everything he did before.? She said her client had said sorry to the victim. ?He apologised when they were both sitting up at Westgate for separate matters,? she said.

She said the pair had a running feud but her client, who is on the national football squad, was now doing community service. The Court of Appeals sentenced him to 15 months in prison.

Police warn of con artsists collecting for ?charity?

Police are warning the public of con artists posing of charity workers begging for money for hampers for the needy.

Typically they operate outside of Hamilton grocery stores said Police who stressed that not all such people are fraudsters.

Police are advising that people ask for ID and check with the organisation the people purport to represent if they are suspicious.

A spokesman said: ?This will ensure that their contributions are properly forwarded to the persons who are in need of them.?

Man denies Airport assault

A Devonshire man denied assault, using offensive behaviour and entering a restricted area at the Airport in Magistrates? Court on Friday.

Jay Kempe, 52, of Devon Point Lane, was charged with assaulting Airport greeter Darkie Smith at the Bermuda International Airport on August 26, 2004. Crown counsel Wayne Caines said that Kempe, a lawyer, allegedly used offensive behaviour in a public place, namely the Airport?s Arrivals Hall.

He also said that Kempe ?did without the lawful authority of an officer at the Department of Civil Aviation enter an area of the Airport at a time when the public were not permitted?.

Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner granted Kempe bail of $1,000 to appear for his trial on February 11, 2005.

Three fined for drug possession

Three men were fined for drug possession in Magistrates? Court on Friday.

The first man, Kamal Trott, 28, of Kitty?s Lane, Hamilton Parish was fined $500 for possessing 0.03 grams of heroin.

Crown counsel Wayne Caines said that at around 4 p.m. on Tuesday, November 2, Police caused the car Trott was driving to stop on Scaur Hill in Sandys. During the search a brown paper twist was found inside the car. When asked what was inside, Trott said ?dope, heroin? and he was arrested.

And two St. George?s men, John Debraga, 22, and Peter Vicente, 21, admitted to possessing cannabis in St. George?s.

Mr. Caines said on June 29, Police were travelling west on York Street and saw two men trying to hide behind a wall.

The two men were searched under the Misuse of Drugs Act and a small plastic bag containing 0.73 grams of cannabis was found in the pocket of Debraga and a bag containing 2.61 grams was found in Vicente?s pocket.

When asked if he had anything to say, Debraga said nothing. He was fined $600. Vicente apologised to the court and said he was only standing outside his apartment on York Street handing a helmet to someone when he was caught ?and got labelled a drug dealer?.

He was fined $400.

Pembroke man faces trial for possession with intent to supply

A man who was caught possessing ecstasy, cannabis and cannabis resin, he allegedly intended to supply, faces trial on Wednesday in Magistrates? Court.

On Friday, Jermaine Pearman, 31, of Middle Town Road in Pembroke, pleaded not guilty to the possession with intent to supply charge in plea court.

Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner extended Pearman?s bail until he appears for trial on Wednesday.

The Crown counsel was Wayne Caines and the defence lawyer was Elizabeth Christopher.