A US citizen who was stopped for riding a motorbike with roughly four times the legal limit of alcohol in his blood was fined $800 in Plea Court on Wednesday.

Magistrate Will Francis gave 21-year old Shannon Baras a break, however, after hearing from his lawyer Paul Woolgar that Baras, a student, was attempting to move his bike to a safer place for the night, before accepting a ride home from someone else. Crown counsel Wayne Caines told the court that Baras, of Ballast Point Road in St. George's, was spotted by Police at night on June 26 swerving erratically down Front Street.

Police, said Mr. Caines, followed Baras up King Street and on to Reid Street, where he stopped. Baras, denied he had been drinking. He did agree to a breathalyser, which showed that he did in fact have a significant amount of alcohol in his bloodstream.

Mr. Woolgar said Baras had a lift home and was attempting to park his bike safely outside the Police station. He explained that it had been stolen two weeks before. Baras, who has been convicted on a similar offence before, has been involved in the Turning Point programme. Mr. Caines, noting Baras could be sent to prison, asked for a stiff fine, but Mr. Woolgar noted Baras is unable to work here.

He added: "Are we punishing him, or punishing the parents?"

"I still want the fine to reflect - the seriousness of this," said Mr. Francis.

"I habitually fine students less - sometimes they pay it themselves, but they earn less, and sometimes the parents have to pay for it," and will work out payment with the children later, he said. Mr. Francis fined Baras "half of what I would normally fine someone for this offence - $800. I would've fined somebody close to $2,000 for this."

The Magistrate also disqualified Baras from driving all vehicles for three years.