Roberts to be tried in Magistrates' Court

United Bermuda Party MP Suzann Holshouser Roberts' brother will now face trial in Magistrates' Court on multiple weapons possession charges.

Ernest Roberts, an aviation operations officer at the Bermuda International Airport, had originally been due to appear in Supreme Court but the Crown agreed with defence lawyer Mark Pettingill that Roberts should be given the chance and elected to be tried in Magistrates' Court.

He duly did and the trial will start on July 13.

Roberts, 58, of Knapton Hill, Smith's, maintained his not guilty plea for five charges of weapons possession.

The weapons allegedly found on April 22 were a Wrist Rocket sling shot, a Crossman 357.177 calibre pellet gun, a Gammo P-23 Air Pistol, an Olin 12 gauge signal flare launcher, and two 12 gauge flares.

Sandys man handed prison term for robbing man of $150

A 33-year-old man was sentenced to 21 months in prison and three years probation in Supreme Court yesterday after he was found guilty of robbing a man of $150.

Denton Jermaine Parris, of Cochrane Lane, Sandys, was found guilty of robbery by a jury in March. The incident occurred on March 5, 2003 when Parris accepted a ride from an acquaintance, Gilbert Clayton Smith.

The jury, however, could not reach a verdict on whether Parris used a knife to rob Mr. Smith.

Senior Crown counsel Lloyd Rayney said the defendant still was not accepting responsibility for the offence.

"He still maintains that this was a drug deal gone wrong," he said.

Defence lawyer Victoria Pearman said Parris was "eager for treatment and wants to turn his past around".

Assistant Justice Archibald Warner said: "Robbery is a serious offence, however, in this case I must rely on specific circumstances and that it is on the lower end of robberies that have occurred."

He added: "You have been in custody now for some 14 months so that has afforded the public some protection but I must consider that you need help."

Mr. Justice Warner sentenced Parris 21 months with time spent in custody taken into consideration. Parris will also have to submit to three years of probation that should include a drug programme, Mr. Justice Warner said.

American visitor fined for importing cannabis

American visitor Robert Gould, 43, was fined $1,000 after pleading guilty to importing cannabis on Monday. A sniffer dog at the Airport picked up the scent and Gould was revealed to have hidden four joints with 4.03 of cannabis. He apologised to Acting Senior Magistrate Carlisle Greaves at yesterday's plea court session.

Man in White Hill concert melee jailed for two years

Assistant Justice Archibald Warner sentenced a young robber to two years in prison and three years probation yesterday in Supreme Court because he said "young people cannot be allowed to terrorise society, which is exactly what they are doing".

Wendell K. Tucker, 23, of Patience Lane, Sandys, was charged by Mr. Warner with one count of aggravated robbery against Georgio Fox and one count of using an offensive weapon - a pair of scissors - during the robbery.

Tucker's lawyer, Darrell Clarke, said he forgot to tell Mr. Warner that the scissors "were small".

Crown counsel Cindy Clarke said that at 2.45 a.m. on November 10, 2003 Mr. Fox had left the Elephant Man concert at White Hill Field and was returning to his cycle when Tucker grabbed him and stuck a sharp object to his neck, Ms Clarke said.

Tucker robbed Mr. Fox wallet with $50 inside, his cellular phone and a gold chain valued at $730 before fleeing the scene, Ms Clarke told the Court.

Tucker was arrested later that day when Police saw Tucker wearing the stolen jewellery and had the stolen wallet in his pocket.

Tucker admitted to Police that he committed the crimes against Mr. Fox.

Mr. Clarke said that "during the Elephant man show (Tucker) had been approached by some guys brandishing machetes. (Tucker) felt these were the same guys who had stabbed his cousin. Following the concert, (Tucker) saw the person whom he thought had threatened him. This is why he carried out the offences," Mr. Clarke said.

But Mr. Warner said that "this was exactly the type of foolishness that this court is left to deter. This is exactly the type of situation, when groups descend on each other and cause havoc. All of them want locking up if they behave in this fashion.

"You deserve five years imprisonment. But you also deserve the right to rehabilitation. But I can not give you five years then order rehabilitation. The law does not permit it."

Man caught with drugs in increased penalty zone

A Pembroke man has been fined $1,500 after admitting possession of 77.7 grammes of cannabis in an increased penalty zone.

Antonio Myer, 18, of Rambling Lane, was spotted behaving suspiciously and pursued by Police on his bike on September 6 last year.

In his effort to escape he collided with the Police car and needed to be helped off his bike. He then made a lunge for this pocket where the drugs were stashed.

He was taken to hospital and then charged. His fine was increased because he was caught in Parsons Road which is within the 300-metre of Parsons Road playground.

Brangman issued warrant, told 'trial was adjourned'

A warrant was issued for the arrest of former assistant dog warden Gino Brangman on Tuesday when he failed to show up for his trial in Magistrates' Court.

The first time Brangman had heard of the warrant was when The Royal Gazette contacted him yesterday.

He said that the trial had been scheduled for Tuesday but he was told that it was adjourned because his lawyer, Mark Pettingill, was an Acting Magistrate that day.

Brangman appeared in Magistrates' Court on April 7 to face 16 charges of illegally breeding dogs and failing to secure the appropriate licence.

Brangman was charged with illegally breeding a male Brasileiro dog between October 7 and 10 in 2003 without a valid licence. Brasileiros are on Government's controversial dog ban list.