dollars for violating Immigration regulations.

Partner in the firm, Beverly Wayne "Jordy'' Walker, appeared before Senior Magistrate Will Francis in plea court and admitted the offence.

Also charged in the same proceedings was the Canadian employee, 38-year-old interior designer Lori Ann McCrae. She pleaded guilty and was fined $500.

Court was told that in December an Immigration Officer went to the offices of Onion, Bouchard & McCulloch, asked for McCrae, met with her and Walker, and asked if they knew her application for a work permit had been denied. Both answered they had.

Juliana Jack, lawyer for the accused, explained McCrae had a three-year work permit slated to expire in 2001 with the company Design Tech. She applied for an advertised post of interior designer with OBM and was the sole applicant.

As Design Tech agreed to her transfer to OBM, a formal request to have her permit transferred had been lodged with the Labour Minister.

Mrs. Jack claimed naivete on the part of both McCrae and her employer, OBM, pointing out that the work permit refusal was being appealed.

She cited that 12 Bermudians, two spouses of Bermudians and six foreigners currently work for OBM and that the 30-year-old company supports Bermudians currently studying overseas through scholarships and provides day-release programmes for students locally.

`UNDERPAID' MAN NOW UNEMPLOYED CTS `Underpaid' man now unemployed A sandblaster who stole from his employer claimed he had done so was because he believed he was underpaid.

Darrell Moore had deductions made from his wages for the care of his eight children and his rent, leaving him with as little as $17 a week, Senior Magistrate Will Francis heard on Wednesday.

Moore, 37, of St. John's Road, Pembroke, had stolen $1,600 of wooden flooring from his employer, Tom Stone, and passed it to Craig Simmons.

Junior Crown counsel Veronica Gordon said the thefts came to light when the owner received a call, saying one of his workers could not be trusted.

A stock check revealed boxes of flooring missing and a Police raid on Simmons' Berkeley Road home recovered the items.

Simmons, 42, admitted buying the flooring from Moore.

Moore pleaded guilty to theft and Simmons admitted receiving stolen goods.

In mitigation, Moore said his wages were docked for his rent and daughters' care, and he took the goods to make up for "being underpaid''.

He was fined $500 and handed a three-month prison sentence -- suspended for 12 months.

Mr. Francis said the court looked with great disfavour on people abusing trust and abusing their positions with employers.

IMMIGRATION IMM