to up to six months in prison for committing perjury in a bankruptcy hearing.

But Peniston is free on $1,000 bail pending an appeal of the three convictions for perjury and one count of concealing property.

Peniston, 53, cried when his lawyer Julian Hall said his case "cries out for mercy and charity'' and when Mr. Hall said his client's 19-year-old son was not taking the conviction well.

After presenting three case histories for perjury, Crown counsel Peter Eccles suggested sentences approaching between 15 and 18 months.

But Peniston's lawyer Julian Hall sharply challenged Mr. Eccles by saying the cases were UK law rather than Bermudian.

He presented a local case from three years ago of a woman who made up the existence of two children to get child support and got a suspended sentence of 18 months.

Puisne Judge Vincent Meerabux heard that Peniston, of Richmond Road, Pembroke, had no previous convictions and was believed to have been working at the law firm of Smith and Scott until recently.

Sparks flew between Mr. Eccles and Mr. Hall when the prosecutor challenged Mr.

Hall's suggestion that his submission was to "ensure pain'' on his client and family.

He told Mr. Justice Meerabux: "The rules go out of the window, My Lord. It was my duty to prosecute this case and to suggest otherwise is wrong and improper.'' The bickering continued later while Mr. Justice Meerabux confirmed that Peniston would have to report to Police once a week.

In response to Mr. Eccles saying he had been unfair, Mr. Hall replied: "Cheap shots for cheap people.'' Mr. Justice Meerabux sentenced Peniston to six months in prison for giving false testimony about his cashing in of two pension policies worth nearly $25,000.

On May 23, 1994, he told the bankruptcy hearing before Pusine Judge Norma Wade-Miller that his ex-wife, Sylvia Oreeta Peniston, was "in receipt'' of the money.

Peniston, 53, was also sentenced to two three month prison sentences for giving false testimony on the pension policies and the sale of gold jewellery worth $475 to Astwood and Dickinson Ltd.

The fourth charge of concealing the money from the jewellery sale earned a sentence of two months. All of the sentences are to run concurrently.

The sentences come almost five years since a Receiving order was handed down in November, 1993 in preparation for the bankruptcy hearings.

Peniston concealed the money from Official Receiver lawyer Mark Diel who was collecting his assets for creditors to whom he owed nearly $1 million.

The jury heard that Peniston approached his ex-wife and had her sign a document to be used in the hearings and purported to give her the proceeds and signed in September of 1987.

In the Summer of 1994 Peniston entered the University of Buckingham law school and is believed to have completed his degree.

In December, 1994 he told a hearing he took responsibility for a "misunderstanding''. Mr. Hall called that hearing a "perjury trap'' after lengthy court battles.

The sentencing comes at the end of an eventful and hotly contested trial which saw one potential juror refuse to be sworn in and and another juror dropped out due to illness.

There was also a five day delay while Mr. Eccles returned home to Canada for his father's funeral.

The six-man, five-wo man jury also saw lengthy adjournments for legal arguments in the case, which began on September 29.

Peniston did not testify in the trial nor did Mr. Hall call any defence witnesses.

Peniston served in the Senate for the United Bermuda Party from December, 1980 until August, 1987.

He became a partner in John S. Darrell Ltd., a shipping and travel company, before branching out on his own in 1986.

Peniston resigned from the Senate in controversy after threatening then PLP Senator David Allen to have advertising withdrawn from his Dateline magazine if he continued to criticise Government's cruise ship policy.