after he admitted assaulting a local woman.

Alfred Thomas Cruickshanki, 25, pleaded guilty to the offence in Magistrates' Court.

Prosecuting, Sgt. Rex Osborne said the complainant, Maria Henry, was walking with her boyfriend, her sister, and a female friend from a nightclub in St.

George's shortly after midnight on October 20.

They met up with Cruickshanki who had a "heated'' argument with Henry's sister.

Later the group saw Cruickshanki near the Customs building in St. George's and a fight broke out between the Song of America crew member and Henry.

During the fight Cruickshanki shoved Henry and her face collided with the main door of the building.

Sgt. Osborne said Henry was bleeding from her nose and felt faint. She had abrasions and the tip of her nose was swollen.

But duty counsel Ms Victoria Pearman pointed out that Cruickshanki "did not actually strike'' the complainant.

"In fact it was the complainant who struck the defendant and as a result of this his lip was cut and swollen,'' she said.

Miss Pearman also noted that at the first meeting of the parties, Cruickshanki walked away.

"He was later confronted again,'' Miss Pearman said. "I'm instructed that at the time the defendant shoved the complainant she was racing towards him and that this was really an evasive rather than an offensive action.

"He's obviously very sorry for any injuries suffered to the complainant and he said had he not had a few drinks he would have avoided the situation altogether.'' Taking this into consideration, Mr. Francis said: "Although you're charged with assault causing bodily harm, the bodily harm was not intentional.

"Further I note provocation. She (Henry) was intervening between something between you and her sister and got pushed out of the way more forcefully than necessary, but you have no previous record so I will grant a conditional discharge for six months.'' PUT OFF THE ROAD FOR DRUNK DRIVING CTS Driving after having "a few drinks'' cost a Pembroke electrician man $400 and a year off the road.

Glen Andrew O'Brien, 31, of Tulo Lane, pleaded guilty in Magistrates' Court to driving on Spanish Point Road while impaired.

Police saw O'Brien riding east on that road around 2.30 a.m. on September 12.

O'Brien had no headgear and was riding in an erratic manner, prosecutor Sgt.

Rex Osborne said.

When O'Brien was stopped his breath smelled of liquor and he admitted he had a few drinks.

The alco-analyser test showed he had 173 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. The limit is 80 milligrams.

O'Brien had no previous similar offences.

FINED $100 FOR TRESPASSING OFFENCE CTS Going on property he had been formerly barred from by Police cost a 35-year-old Southampton man a $100 fine when he admitted the offence.

Michael Bean told Magistrates' Court he had trespassed on June 28 because he wanted to get his boat which was on the property.

But Senior Magistrate the Wor. Will Francis said he should have first asked the owner of 8 Whaling Hill, Southampton if he could go on his property.

WOMAN FINED $100 FOR CANNABIS CTS An American cocktail waitress who claimed she accidentally brought .17 grams of cannabis to Bermuda was fined $100 in Magistrates' Court.

Admitting the offence, Laura Schoemehl, 24, said: "I didn't know it was in my bag.'' Prosecutor Sgt. Ken James said the drug was found on Schoemehl by Customs Officers checking her baggage after she arrived at the Airport on October 18.

The cannabis was found in a matchbox.

MAN JAILED FOR NON-PAYMENT OF FINES CTS A man who owes $6,700 in fines was sent to prison for six months for non-payment.

Steven Wilfred Pitt, 39, of Curving Avenue, Pembroke, told Chief Justice the Hon. Mr. Justice Ward he needed more time to raise money to pay the fines.

But the Chief Justice sent him to prison. "Whatever you raise, you let us know,'' the Chief Justice said, adding he was to start serving the six-month sentence for default of payment "until such time as we see some money.'' In July, Pitt admitted 14 foreign currency offences in Supreme Court and was given until this month to pay.

At the time, Pitt claimed he had no idea he was breaking the law.

Between September and November, 1991, Pitt made 14 claims for tax exemption when buying foreign currency, Crown Counsel Ms Sharon Kenny said.

On several occasions he claimed he was going on a trip to the US while at other times he said he was sending monetary gifts overseas.

Ms Kenny said Pitt converted Bermudian currency into US$41,958.28, of which only $3,100 was lawful.

She noted each resident is only allowed to send monetary gifts valued up to $3,000 overseas without being taxed.

Pitt said he was doing a friend a favour by converting the money.

But the Chief Justice, who was then a Puisne Judge, said: "You were changing this money for someone on the `block'.'' He fined him $3,900 for the amount owed in taxes, plus $200 for each of the 14 charges.

DISQUALIFIED DRIVER HAS TO PAY UP CTS Riding while disqualified and without due care cost a 19-year-old Smith's Parish man $500 in Magistrates' Court.

David James Grayston, of Flowercote Lane, pleaded guilty to both offences that occurred on August 21 at the junction of Tee Street and South Road, Devonshire.

Police were called to the scene of a two-vehicle accident shortly before noon, prosecutor Insp. Peter Duffy said.

Grayston had been riding west on South Road when he turned right into a private car that was coming in the other direction.

Grayston suffered some abrasions and his bike received substantial damage.

Insp. Duffy said he was last before the court on June 17 for speeding at 59 k.p.h. Then he was fined $450 and disqualified from all motor vehicles until June 16, next year.

The Wor. John Judge fined Grayston $250 for each offence and took him off the road for a year.