A Pembroke man narrowly escaped incarceration when Acting Senior Magistrate Carlisle Greaves gave him a chance at assessment for drug addiction treatment yesterday.

Christopher Robinson, 33, of Berkeley Road in Pembroke, admitted three charges of theft in Magistrates' Court before Acting Senior Magistrate Carlisle Greaves.

Crown counsel Cindy Clarke told the court the first incident took place on September 17, at Lindo's in Devonshire.

On that day, said Ms Clarke, Robinson was spotted by the manager of the store leaving the liquor section with three bottles of Dewar's White Label whiskey. Robinson evaded store workers and disappeared without paying for the alcohol.

He also admitted stealing three litres of Cockspur rum from the Hamilton Marketplace later that day. The court heard that the third incident, which took place on October 29 involved two bottles of brandy stolen from the Shopping Centre in Hamilton.

The manager of the Shopping Centre watched on security television as Robinson placed the two bottles into a backpack and attempted to leave the store. When the manager attempted to stop Robinson, said Ms Clarke, a struggle ensued.

The court heard that Robinson told the manager: "Leave me, I've got something, I'll cut you."

The manager noticed that he had in fact been cut in the rib area and was bleeding. He claimed Robinson held a pocket knife; Robinson denied this, saying he had only a nail. He pleaded guilty to unlawful assault with bodily harm.

"He's not only walking and stealing things, he also attacks you . . . I have to protect those people out there," commented Mr. Greaves.

Duty counsel Elizabeth Christopher pointed out that Robinson had been attempting to turn his life around before these incidents. "I would expect that he would be assessed rather than simply incarcerated," she told Mr. Greaves.

Mr. Greaves replied: "That would be your opinion, not his."

However, after Robinson himself told the court that he "hates drugs", and asked for "just one more chance to prove myself," Mr. Greaves ordered the assessment and remanded him into custody until after the New Year.