The defence lawyer of a suspended Detective Chief Inspector argued that his client should not be charged with stealing over $33,000 in Monday's monthly arraignments session.

Stuart Crockwell, 43, of Smith's Hill Road, St. George's, did not have to plead to a charge that he stole $33,338 from Andrew Bascome and Terry Jessie Darrell on a date between December 22, 2005 and December 30, 2005, because before Crockwell could speak, defence lawyer Charles Richardson stood up and made a motion to quash Crockwell's indictment.

Section 504(1) of the Criminal Code Act 1907 states that an accused man can apply that the charge was calculated to "prejudice or embarrass him" or that the charge was "formally defective", Mr. Richardson said.

Puisne Judge Carlisle Greaves asked Mr. Richardson whether he had yet filed his motion to quash Crockwell's indictment.

Mr. Richardson said he had not, but would file the necessary legal paperwork in the next 48 hours.

Crown counsel Oonagh Vaucrossen asked Mr. Justice Greaves to adjourn Crockwell's case until May 1.

Mr. Justice Greaves agreed and extended Crockwell's bail until next month's arraignments date.

In a second new matter, a 33-year-old man was charged with sexually abusing a minor.

The Hamilton Parish man pleaded not guilty to three counts of getting a person below the age of 16 to touch him, directly or indirectly with a part of his body for a sexual purpose, being a person in a position of trust, sometime between June 26, 2004 and October 6, 2005.

Ms Vaucrosson did not object to bail and the man ? who was represented by defence lawyer Larry Scott ? was released to appear for mention on June 1.

An unrepresented defendant pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting a woman on November 14.

The 29-year-old Pembroke man also denied trespassing at the woman's home without lawful excuse at night, at the same date and time.

The man's bail was extended until June 1, however the Judge asked why two months were necessary to get a trial date.

"That's a practice I'd like to see us break up," Mr. Justice Greaves said.

And a Hamilton Parish man was remanded in custody for having a bladed article in a public place.

Noel Eugene Trott, 33 of Twin Lanes, pleaded guilty yesterday to having a knife in an Increased Penalty Zone on North Shore Road on January 24.

However, Trott pleaded not guilty of seriously assaulting a Policeman while resisting arrest on the same date.

Ms Vaucrossen asked Trott to be remanded until May 1, which would give him time to get a lawyer.

In the last of the new matters, Justin Dane Ingemann, 22, of Ferry Road, St. George's denied breaking into Francis Patton school on March 11, 2005.

Ingemann also pleaded not guilty to causing wilful damage to a Hewlett Packard printer at the same date and time, as well as breaking into a St. George's home sometime between September 7 and 9, 2005.