of N.T. Butterfield has been fined $4,550 and given a suspended prison sentence.

Leon Gordon Gibbons of Rockville, Pembroke pleaded guilty in Magistrates' Court to stealing 16 blank cheques between June 1-7.

The cheques belonged to his former employer Mr. Joseph Gibbons (no relation) who had hired him to work at his home on Woodbourne Road.

The offences came to light when the complainant returned from a brief trip and found that someone had overdrawn his account.

On July 6, Leon Gibbons went to the Hamilton Police station and admitted stealing the partially empty cheque book. He said he had filled out and cashed all 16 cheques at various branches of Butterfield's Bank, using his driver's licence as identification.

Two of the cheques were used to purchase groceries from White's Supermarket and Modern Mart.

Lawyer Mr. Charles Vaucrosson told the court his client was in an employee assistance programme because he was addicted to crack cocaine. He said Gibbons was a young man who could benefit from Probation Services because he had in the past overcome an earlier addiction to drugs.

"This young man needs direction and guidance,'' Mr Vaucrosson said. "It is a burden for his girlfriend who has two children and a job to take care of. "He has recently got a job that pays around $400 a week. He intends to pay the money back. He is extremely remorseful for what he has done.'' Senior Magistrate the Wor. Will Francis fined Gibbons $350 for each of the 13 counts. From that total, he ordered $4,401 to be paid back to the Bank of Butterfield.

Gibbons was also given an eight month suspended prison sentence.

"Mr. Gibbons, I am going to impose a very serious threat over your head,'' said Mr. Francis. "I am hoping that this type of suspended prison sentence will be a kind of carrot and stick type of sentence. If you slip off the trail for any reason you will go to prison for eight months.''