Two defendants were offered drug treatment in Magistrates? Court on Tuesday rather than imprisonment.

Roland Jerome Belboda, 55, Khyber Pass, Warwick, pleaded guilty to importing cannabis into Bermuda on January 7.

Crown counsel Graveney Bannister said at 6 p.m. that day Belboda had arrived at the Bermuda International Airport from a charter flight to Jamaica.

?A Police canine was alerted to his shoes,? Mr. Bannister said.

After Belboda was escorted to a secondary inspection area he became fidgety and appeared nervous, the prosecutor said.

Two objects ? later found to be 11.74 grams of cannabis ? were discovered in Belboda?s socks, he said.

?It?s just a bit of herb,? Belboda said.

Duty counsel Llewellyn Peniston said Belboda imported the drug for personal use.

?The defendant readily admits to enjoying a bit of marijuana on occasion,? Mr. Peniston said.

The defence lawyer also said Belboda had to support his son in College abroad.

However, when Magistrate Tyrone Chin asked Belboda what college his son attended, he did not know, other than it was in Atlanta.

?You are not filling me with much confidence,? Mr. Chin said.

The Magistrate added Belboda was last caught importing cannabis and cannabis resin on March 3, 2005.

When Belboda told the Magistrate he wanted to kick his marijuana habit, Mr. Chin told him to leave court and not come back without an appointment with a drug addiction counsellor.

After Belboda made a telephone call and got an appointment to see a drug counsellor, Mr. Chin granted him bail of $500 to appear for his sentencing on June 29.

?You keep your appointment because your freedom depends on it,? Mr. Chin said. ?I want you to bring back your reports, what meetings you went to, your NA (Narcotics Anonymous) chips and negative urine screens.?

Another defendant was given a chance to clean up his life outside of prison.

Marvin Woolridge, 42, of Loyal Hill Pass, Devonshire, pleaded guilty to knowingly receiving a stolen cycle valued at $3,900 in Southampton on March 13.

Mr. Bannister said the green PGO cycle was taken from the Fairmont Southampton but was later seen with Woolridge on St. Monica?s Road.

?I just got a ride up here,? Woolridge told Police. ?The bike is not mine.?

Before his sentencing, Woolridge told Mr. Chin he had spent the last two weeks locked up 22 hours a day at Westgate.

Mr. Chin also granted Woolridge bail of $500 to appear for sentencing on June 29.

?Get clean and stay clean, get a job and keep a job,? the Magistrate said.