cocaine and shoplifting.

Kevin Dillas, of Parsons Road, pleaded guilty to both offences yesterday in Magistrates' Court.

Crown Counsel Charmaine Outerbridge Smith said Dillas was seen by Police leaving a derelict building, a known drug house, on the corner of Angle Street and Brunswick Street with two other men at 9:15 p.m. on May 3.

The officers noticed that Dillas was acting nervously and detained him for a drug search.

During the search Dillas dropped a brown paper twist on the ground which contained one rock-like crystal.

The rock was later found to be 0.05 grams of 83 percent pure cocaine.

Dillas was taken to Hamilton Police Station where he claimed that the twist was not his.

He maintained that the drugs were not his but said he pleaded guilty because "everything points to me, I know I can't get out of it''.

He said it was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Senior Magistrate Will Francis fined Dillas $250 for possessing the cannabis.

But because he was in an increased penalty zone -- 100 metres away from Dellwood Middle School, when the offence was committed -- Dillas was fined an additional $1,000.

Crown counsel also told the court that Dillas was caught taking two bottles of whiskey worth $64 from the Heron Bay Market Place.

Dillas was seen by two grocery packers stuffing the bottles into his shirt.

A manager waited for Dillas outside the store and asked him what he had in his shirt. Dillas lifted up his shirt to reveal the bottles.

He admitted to the court that he knew it was a "stupid thing to do''.

"I had a lot on my mind, it was a spur of the moment thing,'' he added. "I apologise to the Market Place and the courts.'' Dillas was fined $200 for the offence.

He was unable to pay the $1,450 in fines and elected to serve the alternative prison sentence instead of paying the fine.

VISITOR FINED $400 FOR DRUG OFFENCES CTS Visitor fined $400 for drug offences New Yorker John E. Varacalli was fined $400 for possessing cannabis and drug equipment.

Varacalli pleaded guilty to the offences when he appeared in Magistrates' Court.

Crown counsel Charmaine Outerbridge Smith said Varacalli was stopped at the Airport on July 3 after arriving from New York on an American Airlines flight.

Two packs of cigarette papers and 2.96 grams of cannabis were found in his travel bag.

Senior Magistrate Will Francis fined Varacalli $300 for possessing cannabis and $100 for possessing the cigarette papers.