The trial of a 27-year-old Bermuda Regiment soldier, accused of going AWOL and by-passing the chain of command, yesterday wound down before Senior Magistrate William Francis.

Walter Edward Benjamin Stevens of Warwick Parish is charged with failing to attend military training on 13 separate dates. He also faces one charge of failing to obey orders. The charges arose following Stevens' conscription to the Bermuda Regiment in 1995.

The accused's father, Walter Stevens Sr., told the court his son is a self-employed wholesaler operating out of Somerset. Under questioning by defence counsel Edward Bailey, Mr. Stevens Sr. recounted how, while waiting for his son to go before a military exemptions tribunal, Regimental Police showed up the family's Sun Valley Road home and arrested the younger Stevens for not showing up to camp.

Stevens was eventually freed following a Supreme Court writ of habeas corpus.

An understanding was reached after the court action with the Bermuda Regiment, which eventually resulted in Stevens being exempted from overseas training.

At that time Stevens was transferred to B-Company and ordered to appear for cadet training. On 13 separate dates however he failed to show and eventually took his case for a total exemption from military service directly to His Excellency The Governor, Lord Waddington.

In its closing arguments the defence contend Stevens had entered the Regiment unwillingly and the merit of his claims for exemption -- based on financial hardship -- were never acknowledged.

"My client had a good reason to go before the exemption tribunal. He had a proper case,'' argued Mr. Bailey, who charged the army failed to facilitate Stevens' claim.

Crown counsel Leighton Rochester replied Stevens never sought a total exemption, despite the army's willingness to accommodate.

"He only applied for an exemption from overseas service and he was reassigned to another company.

"What we have here is a man who was bent on fulfilling his personal commitments before his military commitments. He was called up like other people. He could've immediately applied to the exemptions tribunal,'' said Mr.

Rochester.

The court will hand down its verdict on April 18.