Magistrates' Court yesterday when he admitted stealing a saw from a Hamilton store.

Edwin Darrell, 38, of Rambling Lane, Pembroke pleaded guilty but said another man had actually stolen the saw.

He said he could not reveal who the thief was because he had been threatened.

Senior Magistrate William Francis told him he should not be involved with that sort of person as it would lead him into more trouble.

Police prosecutor Sgt. Phil Taylor said Police officers went to Masters Ltd.

on March 10 and were told by the store manager that a circular saw had been stolen from the store's warehouse.

The manager said construction workers near the building had witnessed the crime and reported it to him.

Darrell was nabbed the following day by officers. He said he had been handed the saw by another person but did not remove it from the site.

The other person had taken it and stashed it, he continued. When his boss confronted him about the incident, Darrell took him to where the saw was hidden and it was recovered.

Mr. Francis explained to him that aiding and abetting the man who was behaving dishonestly made him guilty of stealing the saw to which Darrell replied: "Yes, I guess so.''