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`Once is too much', Magistrate tells repeat drunk driver

A Pembroke man was ordered to pay $2,200 in fines or face a term in prison.Jeremy Burrows, 26, of Cox's Hill Road, appeared in Magistrates' Court late last week for driving while intoxicated.

A Pembroke man was ordered to pay $2,200 in fines or face a term in prison.

Jeremy Burrows, 26, of Cox's Hill Road, appeared in Magistrates' Court late last week for driving while intoxicated.

The charge stemmed from a June 6 incident.

Burrows was spotted by Police riding westward along Middle Road in Sandys Parish. Police stopped Burrow's motorcycle after he at one point rode into the middle of the road. When he was stopped outside of the junction of Middle Road and Industrial Park Road officers noticed that his speech was slurred.

He was then taken to Hamilton Police Station where he was arrested for driving while under the influence of alcohol.

Before sentencing Burrows, Acting Senior Magistrate Edward King went into Burrows history of similar offences, dating back to the early 90s.

Burrows had three prior arrests for driving while intoxicated.

The fines from these arrests had not been paid and Burrows therefore owed a total of $1,700 in fines.

Burrows told the Court he did not regularly drive while drinking, to which Mr.

King responded: "Once is too much.'' "Obviously you have a problem,'' Mr. King added, referring to the prior offences. "I will give you something to remind you.'' Mr. King ordered Burrows to pay an additional fine of $600, and banned him from driving all motor vehicles for 12 months.

Magistrate King also gave Burrows a two-year suspended prison sentence, explaining that if he were arrested within the next two years for any prisonable offence, he would go straight to prison.

"You don't pay fines, don't show up to court,'' Mr. King told Burrows.

"Eventually the court will catch up with you. You can run, but you can't hide.'' In completing his sentencing, Mr. King ordered Burrows to pay the total of $2,300 or face 120 days in prison.

HOMELESS MAN FACES TRIAL CTS Homeless man faces trial A homeless man will face trial this week in Magistrates' Court for allegedly threatening people and begging on Front Street.

Eugene Darrell, 44, pleaded not guilty last week to using threatening behaviour at the Emporium Building on June 10.

Darrell also denied he "begged or attempted to obtain alms'' on Front Street.

He will be tried tomorrow.

Senior Magistrate Will Francis granted Darrell bail of $500 providing that the administrators at the Salvation Army Emergency Shelter could confirm he had been living there lately.

Mr. Francis said: "I'm pretty sure he won't be able to get a surety. Bail $500 and an assurance of a fixed address, or remanded into custody until Wednesday.'' FRAUD CHARGES ADD UP TO JAIL TIME CTS Fraud charges add up to jail time A Pembroke man will spend the next five months in prison after pleading guilty to cheque fraud.

Anthony Outerbridge, 27, of Orchard Grove, was sentenced before Senior Magistrate Will Francis recently.

Mr. Francis had ordered the preparation of a social inquiry report, but Outerbridge failed to keep two appointments with Probation Services, the court was told.

Outerbridge was charged with six counts, including stealing Bank of Bermuda cheques, forgery and the fraudulent use of the cheques to obtain $1,583.63 from the bank and $1,460 from Gibbons Company.

Outerbridge asked for other offences to be taken into consideration and was sentenced for thefts amounting to more than $6,000.

Crown counsel Lesley Basden told the court that these offences involved a lot of money and that a fine would not be an appropriate sentence.

Mr. Francis agreed and sentenced Outerbridge to five months on each count. The sentences are to run concurrently.