pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice by giving a false name.

But Arnold Allen Pitcher alleged that two officers beat him and threatened to beat him when they arrested him on January 10 and claimed he did not give the correct name because the officers had arrested him before and would have known his name.

Magistrate Edward King heard that Pitcher, 17, of Cut Road, was among a group of youths loitering on both sides of Duke of York Street outside the St.

George's Liquor Store when Police approached.

Junior Crown counsel Wayne Caines said that the youths were in an area where there are posted "No Loitering'' signs and Police had responded to complaints of "an annoying person'' in the area.

They told him of their intention to check if there were outstanding warrants in his name and he told them he was Calvin Philpott, born on August 2, 1983.

The officers called in the name to headquarters and found there was no one born by that name on that date.

When told that he would be taken to St. George's Police Station, Pitcher said: "Not a problem, but I'm tired of you guys messing with me.'' Once in the station, he admitted who he really was and told the officers "I just wanted to see if you guys would figure it out''.

Yesterday Pitcher told Mr. King: "Well the cop that came to me knew who I was. They arrested me two months before.

"Him and Pedro they had dragged me down some steps and punched me,'' he said, adding that he had re-injured himself. "I knew they knew my name. When I was in the Police Station they were talking about beating me up.'' Mr. King responded there was nothing he could do for him about the alleged assault and asked Pitcher if he could catch if he threw a law book at him.

"I should. I'm a wicket keeper,'' Pitcher said.

"Good...Because I could throw it hard,'' Mr. King said. "I shall not convict you. I bind you over to be of good behaviour. If you don't come back here within a year then you won't have a record.'' As he has done in the past, Mr. King expressed his displeasure at the media publicising cases of people who get bound over.

"I remember binding over a person and the press photographed that person,'' he said. "So that their grandchildren can say you were in court.

"This should be erased from the memory,'' he added. "Anybody who says you've got a record is wrong. Don't drop the catch!''