Handbag snatchers thwarted by defiant women

Two women refused to be victims and fought back when men attempted to steal their handbags.

In two separate incidents on Tuesday, handbag snatchers were chased and fought by their targets. In one case, the victim lost a pouch containing money, but in the other a 28-year-old forced the would-be thief to give up and retreat.

At around 11.20 p.m. a 28-year-old Pembroke woman was walking along Serpentine Road, in Pembroke, when a dark skinned male with fuzzy white hair grabbed her handbag and began to walk to a parked bike.

The woman then fought with the thief, grabbing the handbag back and screaming until he turned tail and escaped on a motorcycle.

A Police spokesman said: "The Pembroke woman took her handbag back and a struggle ensued. The offender eventually let go of the handbag when she started screaming and made good his escape."

The suspect is estimated to be around 55-years-old and 5ft 6in, and was riding a green Honda Lead motorcycle.

Earlier the same day, a 35-year-old tourist was riding her rental cycle along Somerset Road around 3.40 p.m. on Tuesday when two men on a yellow motorcycle pulled alongside her.

The Police spokesman said: "The pillion passenger on the yellow motorcycle then grabbed the visitors brown handbag out of the rental cycle's basket.

"She pursued the men who after a short while stopped the motorcycle, got off, and attempted to make good their escape by running though a nearby yard. At that time, she managed to get a hold of her handbag, but was briefly dragged along the ground before letting go."

The thieves dropped the handbag after removing a gold coloured pouch, which contained cash.

After the incident, the motorcycle used by the thieves was impounded, and an 18-year-old Sandys man was arrested in connection to the crime.

Driver admits being impaired by cannabis

A Warwick man pleaded guilty to driving while impaired by cannabis after Police watched him crash at the airport roundabout.

Philip Dwayne Doars, 37, from Tamarind Vale Road, was arrested at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital after receiving treatment for injuries.

Crown counsel Cindy Clarke said that just after midnight on April 1, Police saw Doars riding west on Kindley Field Road, in St. George's.

Doars attempted to go around the roundabout in the wrong direction and collided with a triangular divide, and fell from his cycle.

Doars was taken to the hospital where he was treated for his injuries.

At the hospital, Doars spoke with officers and admitted to drinking, and was arrested on suspicion of driving while impaired.

Lab tests later revealed that while he was under the legal blood-alcohol limit, THC, a chemical found in cannabis, was found in his blood.

Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner fined Doars $1,000 and gave him ten demerit points, as well as banning him from driving all vehicles for a year.

He was also fined $100 and given seven demerit points for driving with an invalid driver's license.

Driver banned for three years

A Pembroke man was taken off the road for three years after he was caught drunk driving three times in less than five months.

Franklyn Pearman, of Lookout Lane, was charged in Magistrates' Court yesterday with driving while impaired on June 27, September 21 and October 19.

According to Crown counsel Cindy Clarke, the first arrest took place after officers saw Pearman ride through a red light at the intersection of Burnaby and Front streets.

Police pulled over the 30-year-old and noticed he was having difficulty putting his motor scooter on its stand.

When questioned by officers, they noticed him slurring, and leaning on the Police car for support. Less than three months later, Police on patrol at 1.45 a.m. near the roundabout at Frog Lane were overtaken by a motor scooter which turned onto Palmetto Road.

The officers pulled over the vehicle, which was driven by Pearman. They attempted to question him but said his responses were "mostly incomprehensible".

Told he was being arrested for suspicion of driving while impaired, Pearman asked the arresting officer: "Do you feel like a big man now?"

The third arrest took place after Police received a report of a vehicle driving dangerously on North Shore Road at 1.20 a.m.

Investigating officers found Pearman riding a motor scooter with the vehicle's lights off, occasionally swerving.

Police pulled Pearman over, and noticing that he smelled of alcohol and his eyes were drooping, arrested him for suspicion of driving while impaired.

Pearman had previously been convicted of driving while impaired in May 2007.

In court yesterday, Pearman pleaded guilty to all three offences. Mr. Warner fined Pearman $3,000 and issued 30 demerit points. He was also banned from driving all vehicles for three years.

Man fined for insulting Police officer

A Devonshire man was fined for using insulting language after calling a Police officer a "Caribbean cockroach".

Anthony Charles Leader, 49, of Border Dell Road, pleaded guilty to using insulting words, telling Magistrates' Court yesterday that the officer was looking for trouble.

Crown counsel Cindy Clarke told the court that Leader was pulled over by officers on patrol on Front Street.

While being questioned, he began to make derogatory comments about the officers.

The Police cautioned Leader, at which point he asked one of the officers if he was Bermudian.

When the officer said he was, Leader said: "Then I don't want to insult you."

He then turned to the second officer and said: "You're nothing but a Caribbean cockroach."

In court, Leader pleaded guilty, but denied the specifics of the charge, saying the officer had approached him as he was walking to his car and ordered him to move the vehicle.

"I said he was acting like a Caribbean cockroach," said Leader. "You see how a cockroach runs across the floor? That's how he came to me. He was looking for trouble."

Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner responded by saying: "And you were looking to get arrested."

Mr. Warner fined Leader $1,000, saying: "You can't say things like that. Well, you can, but you're going to have to face the consequences."