after sentencing him for a knife attack.

Mr. Richard Hector said it was a "nice touch'' that the judge had ordered Terry Lee Pitt to appear before her again as a check on his progress.

Puisne Judge the Hon. Mrs. Justice Wade gave Pitt an 18-month suspended jail sentence last November after he admitted slashing a family friend with a switchblade outside the Moonglow club in St. George's.

The court heard then that Pitt attacked his friend after a marathon drinking session, causing an eight-inch gash from his temple to his neck that could have killed him.

Pitt, a painter and maintenance worker of Queen Street, St. George's, was given the suspended sentence on condition he attended counselling.

The sentence came following testimonials to Pitt's good character and a forgiveness speech from his victim, 29-year-old Wesley Tucker, who described Pitt as a father figure.

Yesterday, Pitt told Mrs. Justice Wade he had been going to Alcoholics Anonymous. "It's helped me out a lot and I've met new friends. I've found myself doing a lot of other things, good things. I'm really enjoying it.'' Mrs. Justice Wade told Pitt: "I'm going to release you now so you can carry on with your life. Keep your drinking under control because you see where it landed you the first time you were before the court.'' She accepted that Pitt had not attended court on Tuesday, when he was supposed to, due to an error in his lawyer's diary. Pitt showed up later, before a warrant was sent out, when he discovered he should have been there, the court heard.