of obtaining credit by fraud.

Kenneth Faries, 28, of Ord Road pleaded guilty in Magistrates' Court to the offences which took place late last year.

Police prosecutor Sgt. Phil Taylor told the court that between September 17 and December 1, Faries incurred a debt of $372.59 from the Bermuda Telephone Company by asking an employee to activate a cellular phone and charge the bills to his ex-girlfriend Joy Johnson.

Ms Johnson had not given Faries permission to use her account and contacted Police after she received two bills and a late payment charge from BTC.

Sgt. Taylor added that on December 27 Faries caught a taxi, but failed to pay the $163.20 tab.

Taxi driver Maurice Tucker reported to Police that in the early afternoon he received a call from Faries to pick him up at Pearman's Hill in Warwick.

Mr. Tucker ended up driving Faries into Hamilton, back to Warwick, and into town again.

On the second trip to Hamilton, Faries got out at the Washington Mall parking lot and asked Mr. Tucker to wait for his return.

Mr. Tucker waited some four-and-a-half hours, but Faries never showed up.

Yesterday Magistrate Edward King sentenced Faries to six months in prison to prevent Faries from "fleecing the public again''.

SIDEWALK DRIVER SLAPPED WITH FINE CTS Sidewalk driver slapped with fine A Warwick man who claimed he was riding on the sidewalk because his bike was running out of gas was fined $400 yesterday for dangerous driving.

Percy Anderson, 30, of Cedar Hill, pleaded guilty with an explanation in Magistrates' Court to driving in a manner dangerous in Pembroke on March 19, 1997.

Police prosecutor Sgt. Phil Taylor told the court that around 8.45 a.m. that day Police received a report of a man "popping wheelies'' along the sidewalk of Par-la-Ville Road, Pembroke and causing two young males to take evasive action.

The complainant described Anderson to Police who were able to identify him as an employee at nearby World Distributors Limited.

Magistrate Edward King ordered Anderson to pay the $400 fine.

MAGISTRATE ORDERS `DRYING OUT PERIOD' CTS Magistrate orders `drying out period' A man who recently received a suspended prison sentence and a $150 fine for drinking liquor in public was yesterday convicted of repeating the offence.

Dion Burgess, 32, of Camp Hill, Southampton pleaded guilty with an explanation in Magistrates' Court to drinking liquor in St. George's on January 26.

Earlier on January 26, Burgess appeared in court for the same offence and received three months in prison suspended for six months and the fine.

Police prosecutor Sgt. Phil Taylor told the court that around 11 p.m. Police officers on patrol saw Burgess standing at a bus stop on Duke of York Street, drinking an Elephant beer.

The officers arrested Burgess and took him to St. George's Police Station where he was detained.

Yesterday Burgess explained: "There were ten guys drinking together at the bus stop. But the Police chose to only arrest me out of the whole bunch.'' However, Magistrate Edward King decided to activate the suspended prison term because he said: "My warning fell on stoney ground, deaf ears.'' "You need a good drying out period,'' Mr. King told Burgess. "I know all about drinking. My father was a drinker and he died a day before his 60th birthday. The drink took him.

"You are sick and need help. When you are in jail ask them to arrange a programme for you. The longer you are kept away from Elephants, the better.'' TWO POLICE OFFICERS ACQUITTED CTS Two Police officers acquitted Two Police officers formerly charged with assaulting a man in custody have been acquitted.

The joint charges against Det. Con. Terrance Gift, 41, of Parson's Road, Pembroke and P.c. Shannon Wolffe, 30, of Fort Hamilton Drive, Pembroke were dropped due to a lack of evidence.

During the Magistrates' Court trial, 24-year-old student Harvey Williams, Jr.

claimed the officers attacked and threatened him repeatedly while in custody at the Prospect Narcotics division on November 22, 1996.

Mr. Williams, Jr. was arrested earlier that day for attempting to export more than $25,000 without permission from the Bermuda Monetary Authority.

MAN DENIES USING OFFENSIVE WORDS CTS Man denies using offensive words A Warwick man who refused to be searched at roadside will go on trial next month for using offensive words in public.

Mark Anthony Tucker, 29, of Ord Road initially pleaded guilty in Magistrates' Court to that offence and obstructing a Police officer.

Police prosecutor Sgt. Phil Taylor told Magistrate Edward King Police went to Hayward's Grocery on Middle Road, Warwick at 7 p.m. on Tuesday after receiving reports of drug activity.

Tucker was approached by Police and told he would be searched under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Tucker told Police: "You guys ain't f**king searching me like I'm some f**king dog.'' When Police told Tucker that he would be arrested, he reportedly told them: "Think I give a f**k about court?'' But Tucker told Mr. King: "I didn't say none of that.'' He claimed that he had pleaded guilty because of advice from duty counsel Sonia Grant, but was not aware of the offensive words allegedly used.

"They came and wanted me to drop my pants outside of Hayward's,'' Tucker continued.

And he disputed Police' claims, telling Mr. King: "I mean some of them cops ain't Christians you know. No, I'm not pleading guilty to all that.'' Mr. King therefore entered a not guilty plea to the offensive words charge.

Tucker, who was released on $300 bail, will face trial on March 4 for that charge and he will also be sentenced for the obstruction offence.

PAGET MAN BANNED FROM DRIVING CTS Paget man banned from driving A Paget man was yesterday fined and banned from driving all motor vehicles for driving while impaired.

Jay Cabral, 30, of Bostock Hill pleaded guilty in Magistrates' Court to the offence which took place in Pembroke on January 15.

Police prosecutor Sgt. Phil Taylor told the court that around 10.45 p.m.

Cabral was riding his motorcycle "in an erratic manner'' close behind a Police patrol car on Queen Street.

When the car began to slow down, Cabral almost crashed into it. The officers arrested Cabral on suspicion of drunk driving at the Esso City Automarket.

He was taken to the Hamilton Police Station where a alco-analyser test revealed him to have at least 187 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood -- the legal limit is 80 milligrammes of alcohol.

Magistrate Edward King fined Cabral $600 and banned him from driving all motor vehicles for the next 12 months.