after Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner jailed him for nine months for stealing from a taxi driver.

Dane Lamont Stovell had just pleaded guilty to "obtaining credit by false pretences'' and stealing from Winston Burrows on March 24.

Stovell was also jailed for three months for stealing $1,400 in tools from Eldridge Brimmer on the morning of May 20.

And he came in for a stern warning from Mr. Warner who openly declared the crime "affects not only taxi drivers but all Bermudians''.

Mr. Warner added: "Firstly, it hurts the taxi drivers in the pocket.

Secondly, because of people like you, they are stopping picking up black people.

"Everybody suffers,'' he continued. "Not that it's right, but there are taxi drivers out there not picking up people and they are arming themselves like vigilantes. Somebody is going to get killed.

"You've got three examples here (in his criminal record) of getting in people's taxis and not having the money and then robbing them,'' Mr. Warner said.

He had heard Stovell, 30, was picked up by Mr. Burrows in taxi T1218 at 3.31 a.m. on March 24 near the Emporium Building on Front Street.

Crown counsel Cindy Clarke said Stovell was taken to the Collector's Hill area, then to Friswell's Hill, Pembroke for $18.75.

Stovell told Mr. Burrows his mother had a $100 bill and the trusting driver gave him change.

Ms Clarke said Stovell disappeared between two buildings a short time later.

Stovell told Mr. Warner: "What went down was a mis-communication. I came back and he was gone. I haven't seen Winston since then. I tried to relay a message to him, but...'' Stovell told Police "I'm sorry about that'' when he was arrested after a quick investigation of the theft from Mr. Brimmer's property on Saturday morning. The tools were recovered that afternoon.