habit last week began serving an eight-year prison term for robbery.

Eugene Anderson, of Cockburn Road, admitted in the Supreme Court to committing a spree of robberies between December 10 last year and January 17 this year.

Anderson, unrepresented, sat in silence as Crown Counsel Mr. Peter DeJulio read off 11 counts including robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and resisting arrest.

When given the opportunity to speak, Anderson pleaded for leniency.

He claimed he was mentally ill at the time of the offences due to drug addiction which he said he now had under control.

"At the time of these offences I was very sick. The drugs made me do these things,'' he told Puisne Judge the Hon. Mr. Justice Ground.

But Mr. Ground said while he took into account the fact that Anderson co-operated with Police on all charges and pleaded guilty, he could not excuse him from a long prison sentence because of his addiction.

"Addiction to drugs does not entitle you to go around robbing people.'' Mr.

Ground said.

TEEN FINED $1,000 FOR TRAFFIC OFFENCES CTS Teen fined $1,000 for traffic offences A Paget teenager who failed to stop after he ran into a water truck, was fined $1,000 Thursday and taken off the road for six months.

Jonathan Gaugain, 18, of Dudley Lane, was also charged in Magistrates' Court for driving without due care and attention, without third party insurance, and without a vehicle licence.

He pleaded guilty to all the offences which occurred on October 27.

Prosecutor Sgt. Donald Grant said Gaugain damaged the rear bumper of a water truck when it stopped in front of him.

"Gaugain rode off down the street without stopping,'' Sgt. Grant said, adding that Gaugain had several similar convictions.

"This is inexcusable,'' Senior Magistrate the Wor. Will Francis said. "You did damage to this man's vehicle and now you have no insurance to pay for it.

I have to take into account your other two speeding offences last year.'' He fined Gaugain $200 for not stopping, $300 for no third party insurance, $150 for an unlicensed vehicle, $350 for driving without due care.

MAN FINED $300 FOR SWEARING AT POLICE CTS Man fined $300 for swearing at Police A 24-year-old Pembroke man was fined $300 Friday in Magistrates' Court, for using offensive words in Hamilton.

Neil Turini, of Arlington Heights, pleaded guilty to the charge.

Prosecutor Sgt. Donald Grant said Police were called to a disturbance outside of the Captain's Lounge on Reid Street on the evening of June 2.

When Police approached Turini, who was standing outside, he swore at them, Sgt. Grant said.

Sgt. Grant said Turini became aggressive and was arrested.

But Turini said he was angry that night because he was falsely accused of causing the disturbance at the Captain's Lounge. He said the Police should have taken into account they had picked up the wrong person.

"That's why I had every right to let off my Fs.'' Senior Magistrate the Wor. Will Francis told Turini: "If you told them in a proper manner, this wouldn't have happened.'' "I shouldn't have to go through this,'' Turini replied. "They attacked me.

They were using the same language.'' STOLE NUTS AND BOLTS, MAN FINED $350 CTS Stole nuts and bolts, man fined $350 Stealing $25 worth of nuts and bolts from a Police officer's cycle cost a Devonshire man $350 in Magistrates' Court on Thursday.

Prosecutor Sgt. Donald Grant told the court that on the evening of May 26 this year Police saw Keith Trott, of Loyal Hill, tampering with a cycle on Middle Road in Devonshire "He had a socket wrench in his hand,'' Sgt. Grant said.

Police discovered the cycle did not belong to Trott and arrested him on suspicion of stealing.

Trott's lawyer, Mr. Rod Attride-Sterling, said his client thought the cycle had been abandoned at the side of the rode as it had been there several days.

Sgt. Grant denied that the cycle had been abandoned.

Taking into account the prevalence of cycle theft, Senior Magistrate the Wor.

Will Francis said: "He was clearly in the process of cycle stripping.''