A man who was found guilty of sexually assaulting and beating his estranged wife was sentenced to five years in prison yesterday.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had pleaded not guilty to the charge of sexually assaulting and causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) to his ex-wife on March 12 of last year.

Puisne Judge Charles-Etta Simmons sentenced the man to one year in prison for the GBH and five years for the sexual assault, but with only three years to be spent in prison, with the other two as a suspended sentence.

She also ordered the man to take anger management classes during his time in prison.

The 34-year-old man, who has a previous conviction for a similar offence, asked the judge to base the sentencing on his integrity.

He added that he had been in a bad situation and was truly remorseful.

During the April trial prosecutors Vinette Graham-Allen and Cindy Clarke maintained that the man had threatened the woman with a knife and punched her in the head repeatedly, before raping her after she told him that a trip she was planning to New York was none of his business.

However defence lawyer Mark Pettingill claimed that his client and his wife had had consensual sex.

A hospital nurse tried to bite the Police officer who arrested her after she had gone on a drinking binge.

And in Magistrates' Court yesterday Patsy Ann Preble was fined $400 for her violent behaviour.

The court heard how Preble, 49, who works at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, was arrested outside the Captain's Lounge bar on Reid Street on the evening of May 15.

When the arresting officers arrived at the scene Preble became violent and resisted arrest.

Crown counsel Sade Subair said that Police were called to the club after Preble was reported to have been escorted out by a bouncer. Preble had dried blood on her nose and cheek and became verbally and physically aggressive to Police when they warned her about her behaviour.

Police had asked Preble if she was on medications when she was arrested and she said yes.

Police noticed Preble had glazed eyes and smelled of intoxicants. When asked if she had been drinking she replied: "Yeah, I had a few. I had a lot."

She was taken to Hamilton Police station and later to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital for treatment to the cuts on her face. On the way to hospital, Police said she issued violent threats in the car, and tried to bite an officer on the chest. Another officer was kicked in the face but did not suffer any injury. Police helped her into the building where she was unsteady on her feet and resisted a doctor who was to treat her injuries. The report said she was violent for most of the time, and when it was all finished she apologised and began to cry.

Defence Counsel Peter Farge explained that Preble's violent behaviour that night was due to a medical condition that he did not wish to name.

Acting Senior Magistrate William Francis fined Preble $400.

A 90 kph motorcycle chase ended with the rider being fined for speeding, cannabis possession and violently resisting arrest.

Jonathan Tumbridge, of Frith Estate in Warwick raced at speeds of up to 90kph to get away from Police during a chase on February 28, but was eventually caught and handcuffed after violently resisting arrest.

The 18-year-old had .85 grams of cannabis on his person when he was searched, so he was fined $200 by Acting Senior Magistrate William Francis. He was fined $500 for driving in a dangerous manner and $300 for resisting arrest.

"It's weed I got from a guy in a house," he told Police at the time.

Tumbridge also admitted having cannabis in an increased penalty zone on January 18 in Marsh Lane Nature Reserve. This charge ended with a $1,200 fine. Tumbridge has a month to pay the fines totalling $2,200, due on August 22.

A 32-year-old heroin addict was deemed eligible for drug court when she reappeared in Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.

Shelley Wilson, of Mount Hill, Pembroke said she had been remanded in the Co-ed facility for the past two weeks while being assessed for a Social Inquiry and Bermuda Assessment and Referrals report. The facility does not have a treatment programme for addicts

"I need Methadone," she said in court yesterday.

"I'm a heroin addict, I need to go to Turning Point. You can stay there for three months and they have an outpatient programme. I was on my way to go there anyway before all this happened."

Wilson initially appeared in court two weeks ago on charges of theft and possession of drug equipment. On that occasion she was fined $500 and jailed for 14 days.

Yesterday Acting Senior Magistrate William Francis was advised by Crown Counsel Sade Subair that Wilson was eligible for drug court. She was remanded in custody but will appear in Plea Court again on August 5 to be considered for a course of treatment.