An 18-year-old man who stole his tuition fees for law school from his father had a social inquiry report ordered yesterday in Magistrates' Court.

Franco Jamal Kent Harris of Town Hill Road, Smith's, initially pleaded not guilty, but later changed his plead to guilty.

Crown counsel Wayne Caines told the court that the student's father, Frankie Harris, had wired Buckingham University, in the United Kingdom, $8,0383.99 for his son to attend law school there.

The accused e-mailed the school on June 11, 2002, from a Hotmail account in his fathers name and asked for the funds to be wired to a London account. Franco Harris then spent $8,865.36 within 40 transactions.

Franco Harris said: "I will pay back the money."

Acting Senior Magistrate Carlisle Greaves said: "You are not even a lawyer yet and you already know how to steal."

Mr. Greaves asked how Harris could spend his law school money, and questioned his relationship with his father.

Harris said: "My father and I had a very bad history. I had no fixed abode and no one to turn to. My mother is terminally ill. I used the money to buy food, clothing and a cellular phone."

He added: "I would have had to raise the rest of the money myself - he did not pay all my school fees."

Mr. Greaves wanted to know how was it in a country like Bermuda, that he could not find a job, doing anything.

He asked: "Have you ever heard about work? You could've packed groceries and took a tip, washed cars at $25 a time, did construction or anything. You just took your old man's money."

Mr. Greaves said: "You hatched a dishonest plan to hook your father's money."

Mr. Greaves set the matter down for sentencing on 17.