Police had to use pepper spray to subdue a man who swore at them after they went to subdue an argument.

Police went to a disturbance at the junction of Church Street and Queen Street in Hamilton late on Wednesday night and found a large crowd watching two men yelling at each other.

As officers approached, a 23-year-old Devonshire man became hostile, using obscene language towards the officers.

The Devonshire man was then informed he was going to be arrested for using offensive words; but as the officers attempted to handcuff him he resisted and a violent struggle took place.

The man was sprayed with Captor pepper spray but despite this he continued to struggle.

Eventually he was handcuffed, taken to Hamilton Police Station and detained.

A 29-year-old man who injured two people while speeding on North Shore, Devonshire was yesterday disqualified from driving all vehicles for two years and fined a total of $3,350.

Runako Hill pleaded guilty in Magistrates? Court to two counts of causing actual bodily harm by dangerous driving and driving an unlicensed and uninsured vehicle.

The accident happened on July 10 this year on North Shore at the junction near Grace Lane when Hill collided with a motorcycle.

The rider of the cycle sustained head injuries and multiple lacerations to the body. The pillion passenger?s arm became ensnared in the broken windshield of the defendant?s vehicle resulting in a severe wound to the forearm.

Police were called to the accident and the traffic collision investigator subsequently calculated the defendant?s minimum speed to be 88.74 kph when he tried to apply his brakes just prior to slamming into the motorcycle. Police later determined that the vehicle was unlicensed and uninsured.

Hill was fined $750 for driving an unlicensed car, $1,000 for driving an uninsured vehicle and $800 and two years disqualification for each count of causing actual bodily harm by dangerous driving.

A Warwick man narrowly escaped a prison sentence when he appeared in Magistrates? Court yesterday.

Curtis Hill, 20, admitted possessing a 4.5-inch bladed knife in a public place on September 20 this year.

He told Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo he had the weapon for personal protection.

Hill said: ?I got myself in trouble with some guys. I have a drug problem. I had a drug debt. The guys I owed the money have previously assaulted me.

?I am very,very sorry. I felt paranoid and scared. I had the knife to defend myself in case I got into an altercation. I hope you give me a chance. I am about to enrol in a drug treatment programme.?

Mr. Tokunbo told Hill that young people often get into trouble when they carry weapons for personal protection.

He added: ?You have to see the lack of rationale and logic in this. If you had an altercation you could have killed someone or you could have caused someone grievous bodily harm.?

Mr. Tokunbo imposed the mandatory minimum sentence of three years in jail, and noting the circumstances of the case and Hill?s guilty plea, he then suspended the sentence for two years.

?I hope you heard what I said,? Mr. Tokunbo told Hill after sentencing.

?Yes your Worship,? Hill replied as he left the court.

A thief stole $500 of coins from a car parked outside a Robin Hood Drive, Pembroke home on Monday morning.

Police are investigating the incident.