A youngster appeared in Juvenile Court yesterday on firearms and drugs charges.

The youngster, who cannot be named for legal reasons, will be sentenced in January after pleading guilty to importing an air pistol at the Bermuda International Airport on February 14, according to court records.

He also admitted giving a friend $20 to buy the hand-held air pistol and have it sent to Bermuda, addressed to the defendant's mother, through a courier service.

The parcel was X-Rayed by technicians who saw the gun in the box. On further inspection it was seen hidden between knee pads.

The parcel was sent from a beauty store and was marked that it contained bike parts.

The 4.5 millimetre air gun was later tested by the Police and it shot five rounds of ball-bearings.

A Probation report was ordered before sentencing and the charge carries a fine of up to $5,000.

On a second charge the youth also pleaded guilty to being in possession of 2.78 grams of cannabis.

The court heard that on June 26, Police spotted the 15-year-old acting suspiciously outside The Apothecary pharmacy in Smith's.

The officers searched him under the Misuse of Drugs Act and the found cannabis in a clear plastic bag.

After he was arrested for being in possession of the controlled substance, he told Police: "I am sorry for what I did, it wont happen again."

The Devonshire youth received two years probation with conditions of a 6.30 p.m. curfew except on Fridays when he will be allowed to return home at 8 p.m. because he has to attend the Bermuda Regiment Cadets.

He also has to stay in his school's cadet programme, submit to regular drug testing and attend counselling sessions.

Before the proceedings began yesterday, Acting Juvenile Court Magistrate Arlene Brock asked that The Royal Gazette reporter leave the court, saying "it was not the proper day for Juvenile Court".