Robbery in Hamilton is becoming a "serious blight'', a Magistrate warned yesterday.

Magistrate Arthur Hodgson was speaking just after sentencing homeless Alvin Eugene Crane, 30, to six months in jail.

Crown Counsel Larry Mussenden told Mr. Hodgson that Darrell Bernardo was walking west on Front Street when Crane approached him and asked him for money.

Crane claimed his cycle had broken down and he needed money to repair it to get home.

Mr. Mussenden said Crane repeatedly begged for money when Mr. Bernardo declined to give him any.

Crane pushed Mr. Bernardo and reached into the man's pocket and pulled a Bermudian $50 bill and ran away.

A short time later a plain clothes Policeman saw Crane -- who fit a description by witnesses -- out of breath and crouching near a wall at the junction of Parliament and Dundonald Streets.

Crane was sweating profusely and told the Policeman he was out of breath "because I just robbed somebody''.

Crane pleaded guilty to robbing and assaulting Mr. Bernardo of $50 in the early hours of Monday morning in Chancery Lane.

Mr. Hodgson sentenced Crane to six months on both charges and activated a six-month sentence that had been suspended for two years.

All three sentences are to be served concurrently.

Crane told Mr. Hodgson he had kept out of trouble but he had lost his job with a construction firm who had fired him "inhumanely''.

Mr. Hodgson replied: "Robbery in Hamilton is becoming a serious blight in this country.'' MAN DESTROYED BLANKET WHILE IN POLICE CUSTODY CTS Man destroyed blanket while in Police custody A Magistrate yesterday ordered a Warwick man to pay compensation and a fine for destroying a blanket while in Police custody.

Magistrate Arthur Hodgson yesterday ordered Urban Ned Fleming to pay $80 after he admitted burning a $40 blanket in Hamilton Police Station.

Fleming, 36, of Smith's Avenue, told the court had been pulled in by Police for being drunk and incapable.

Crown Counsel Larry Mussenden told the court that at 1 a.m. yesterday, Fleming complained to the constable on duty that he was hungry.

The officer told him the scheduled time for breakfast was 7.30 a.m.

At 1.30 a.m. officers had to douse a burning blanket just outside Fleming's cell. He was the only person in the cell area.

Mr. Mussenden said there was smoke damage and burn marks inside and outside the cell and cigarette butts in the blanket.

AMERICAN VISITOR DROVE WHILE IMPAIRED CTS American visitor drove while impaired An American visitor given a warning for drinking and driving became a two-time loser, a Magistrate heard yesterday.

For Michael James Corbett, an executive with SMG Insurance in Chicago, Illinois, was caught driving again later the same night and pulled in by Police.

And yesterday Corbett pleaded guilty to riding while impaired on June 27 on Front Street.

Magistrate Arthur Hodgson heard that at 1.55 a.m. Corbett -- who is staying with friends -- was seen by Police crossing the centre line of Middle Road, Devonshire, while travelling west.

Crown Counsel Larry Mussenden said Corbett was stopped and Police noted he was unsteady on his feet, his eyes were glazed, and his breath smelled of alcohol.

Mr. Mussenden added that Police noted there was minor damage to his auxiliary cycle and he had "road rash''.

Police helped Corbett secure his cycle and directed him to Front Street where he could get a taxi to his friend's home in Tucker's Town.

At 2.10 a.m. the same Police officers saw Corbett on the same cycle on Front Street.

Mr. Hodgson fined Corbett $400 and banned him from riding all auxiliary cycles.

Mr. Hodgson added: "That's if you return to Bermuda.'' DRUNK DRIVER WAS SPOTTED NEAR POLICE VAN CTS Drunk driver was spotted near Police van Drunk driving in front of a Police van earned a young Warwick woman a $400 fine and a one year driving ban for all motor vehicles.

Akilah Wilson, 19, of Ten Pin Crescent, was riding in front of a Police van on a Typhoon motorcycle while travelling west on Reid Street at 3.50 a.m. on May 16.

Crown Counsel Larry Mussenden told Magistrate Arthur Hodgson that she narrowly missed colliding with the sidewalk on the eastern side of Queen Street.

Wilson swerved back across the road before Police signalled for her to stop.

Mr. Mussenden said Police ordered Wilson to put her cycle on its stand but she had difficulty doing so.

Police noted her breath smelled of alcohol and she was unsteady on her feet.

Wilson was arrested and told Police: "I only had two drinks. I know I am not drunk.'' Wilson, who pleaded guilty to the offence in court, submitted to a breath analysis at Hamilton Police Station.

The lowest reading was 127 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood.

The legal limit is 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood.

NASA EMPLOYEE RECIEVES ONE-YEAR BAN, FINE CTS NASA employee receives one-year ban, fine A NASA employee was brought back down to earth by a Magistrate yesterday.

Clement Dorsey was fined $400 and banned from driving for one year after he pleaded guilty to drinking and driving.

The court heard Dorsey, 32, had more than three times the legal limit of alcohol in his blood at 2.18 a.m. on April 19.

Crown Counsel Larry Mussenden told Magistrate Arthur Hodgson that Police attended an accident involving two cycles near the Swizzle Inn in Hamilton Parish.

Their attention was drawn to Dorsey, of Abbot's Crescent, Hamilton Parish, who was lying in bushes behind the bar and restaurant.

Mr. Mussenden said Dorsey was unsteady on his feet, his breath smelled of alcohol, and he admitted to drinking.

When Dorsey was told he was going to be arrested he told Police: "No problem''.

Dorsey submitted to a breath analysis, the lowest reading being 243 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood.