March 1: The month began with a double tragedy when two men died in the first fatal road accidents of the year. Rudell Smith, of Southampton, passed away after his motorcycle was in collision with a pedal cyclist and pedestrian in Paget.

Miguel Franco, 17 died in hospital the following day of injuries sustained when a motorcycle he was riding pillion on was in collision with a truck in Warwick on February 29.

Early March was also dominated by news of the Supreme Court trial of Andrina Smith, who was eventually convicted of manslaughter for stabbing boyfriend Edward Allan (Sleepy) Dill to death during a domestic dispute.

The case sparked debate over the issue of domestic violence in Bermuda, with Smith's grandmother Patricia Francis, 62, pleading afterwards for other women to heed what happened. "If you're in an abusive relationship, get out. Just get out. When things like this happen it can just tear your family apart," she said.

Smith was jailed for eight years.

March 4: Antoine Herbert Anderson and Phillip Anthony Bradshaw were charged with murdering 30-year-old Aquil Richardson on Boxing Day, 2007. Mr. Richardson was shot dead as he sat on a wall in Southampton. The pair deny murder and are due on trial at Supreme Court in early 2009.

On the same day, 87-year-old Grace Cross died in a fire at her Sandys parish home. The senior was described as a "grand old lady" who loved her garden.

March 5: After a public outcry, Minister of Culture Dale Butler said Bermuda Day would not be renamed National Heroes day as originally planned. The following month, Government announced an extra day's holiday for 2008 as Bermuda moved from a day off on the Queen's Birthday to a day off in October to mark National Heroes Day.

March 7: Bermudians Against the Draft lost the first round of their battle to get conscription to the Bermuda Regiment declared unlawful. The group, which branded the policy "21st century slavery," saw Chief Justice Richard Ground rule against them in the Supreme Court. They were defeated once again at the Court of Appeal in November 2008, and plan to fight on the Privy Council in 2009.

The same day, the Chief Justice ruled that a mentally-ill man who stabbed a tourist was being kept in unacceptable and sometimes disturbing conditions at Westgate Correctional Facility. Mr. Justice Ground said the Governor must consider sending Lorenzo Prince Robinson overseas for specialist treatment, as Bermuda does not have a secure psychiatric unit despite its "pressing need."

However, Mr. Robinson remained incarcerated at Westgate until he hanged himself in his cell – despite reportedly being on suicide watch – on July 13. An inquest into his death is still pending.

March 11: Police revealed that violent crime had shot up by 44.5 percent over the past seven years. Acting Commissioner Carlton Adams blamed the trend on a hard core of repeat offenders.

March 13: Corporation of Hamilton member William Black claimed his colleagues were "just out to hang me" after he was deposed as Deputy Mayor.

Mr. Black told The Royal Gazette members turned on him after he refused to withdraw a complaint he made about the eligibility of alderman David Dunkley and common councillor Graeme Outerbridge to serve.

Near hurricane-force winds battered the Island for several days in the middle of the month. Electricity and cable outages resulted, boats broke free from their moorings and German educational/ training yacht the Johann Smidt crashed into a pier on Ordnance Island, St. George's.

March 24: American tourist Martha Hoopes died and her nine-year-old daughter Ashley Hoopes was left fighting for her life after the rental bike they were travelling on came into collision with a van in Southampton.

Harold Earlston Simons subsequently pleaded not guilty to charges of causing death and injury by dangerous driving and is set to go in trial at the Supreme Court in 2009.

March 25: Government announced it had axed its newspaper subscriptions to The Royal Gazette in what it described as a "cost savings measure". Critics questioned whether it was the beginning of a drive to muzzle the freedom of the press by draining the newspaper's finances.

Government insisted it was more effective to use the electronic media.

March 29: West End stardom was beckoned for Bermudian actress Rebecca Faulkenberry, who won a lead role in the London theatre production of the smash-hit "High School Musical".

The month ended on another high note – more than 400 people marched down Front Street in Bermuda's first Run for Freedom, to protest against modern day slavery. The event was organised by Charlotte Wilberforce, the great-great-great granddaughter of UK slave emancipator William Wilberforce, who described it as "awesome."