Notorious beggar Eugene (Jinx) Darrell was accused yesterday of "waging a one-man war on tourists''. The accusation came after a court heard an elderly woman collapsed with a suspected heart attack following harassment by Darrell.

Despite the incident, Darrell walked free from court after Senior Magistrate Archie Warner said there was nothing he could do to stop the panhandling.

Later Corporation of Hamilton secretary, Roger Sherratt, said: "Darrell is waging a one-man war on tourists.

"I understand the magistrate's predicament, and he is right, it is a community problem, but I think a court order should have been placed to keep Darrell out of the City of Hamilton.'' The court heard how a 76-year-old holidaymaker had left a Hamilton restaurant on Monday night and was walking back to her guest house in Pitts Bay Road with her 80-year-old brother when they were targeted by Darrell.

A taxi driver drove past and shouted at Darrell to leave them alone, but he followed them along the street, continuing to ask for money.

Prosecutor Cindy Clarke told how after the taxi driver had passed, Darrell went up behind the brother and sister and grabbed the man by the arm.

She said both seniors were shocked at his persistence and threatening behaviour, and just moments later the woman collapsed in the street with a suspected heart attack.

Fortunately, the woman was brought round by a passer-by and taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, where she was treated and later released.

But Darrell was arrested the following day after being spotted by Police harassing more holidaymakers for money. At Magistrates' Court yesterday he admitted begging.

A frustrated Mr. Warner, said there was very little he could do to put a halt to Darrell's habitual panhandling ways.

As a result, he was released on a year's conditional discharge, despite breaking a conditional discharge placed on him just a few months ago.

Beggar walks free from court But later Mr. Sherratt said something had to be done to stop Darrell.

"We are asking people to report incidents like this to Police, but they are going to wonder what is the point if nothing happens to him.

"He is doing a lot of damage to the tourism industry, and to be honest, he has been getting more and more aggressive. I am not surprised somebody has collapsed.

"He deliberately targets women and the elderly. This was likely to happen.'' Mr. Warner, who has dealt with Darrell before, told him yesterday: "You see, you may think that begging, your lifestyle, is harmless enough, but clearly it's upsetting to people and can have serious consequences, as in this case.

"Clearly, your manner threatened the lady and she collapsed.

"People we invite to Bermuda have a right to get around Bermuda unmolested or interfered with.

"You have been in trouble over and over.'' But the magistrate said he had very few options in dealing with Darrell.

Mr. Warner added: "I think one of the reasons you continue to do this foolishness is that if I lock you up it's no real big thing. You will go in and come out again and do it.

"But if I don't lock you up, you will still continue to do it.

"Unfortunately, this is a social issue -- this is not a criminal issue. I don't care what anyone else says.

"I'm not going to waste my time and the court's time in putting you in prison because obviously prison is not the appropriate place for you.

"The policy-makers have to decide on other ways of dealing with people like you.'' But Health and Social Services Minister Nelson Bascome said Mr. Warner could have taken other steps.

He said he was concerned about the situation as begging was a criminal offence and said Darrell, if he wanted, could get three meals a day from the Salvation Army and a paying job -- but he did neither.

Mr. Bascome said: "Darrell does not need to be in a mental hospital.

"We have a centre where they (the homeless) can go for all their meals, and as much coffee as they like at any time of the day. It has TV entertainment and light work if they want it.

"But a number of these individuals just do not want to adhere to that programme.

"I'm not condemning the magistrate, but he should have called for a social inquiry report, so we could have drawn up a programme where he must attend the centre at certain times every day, or go back to court.

"It could have helped us to enforce him into a programme. As it is, we can do nothing.

"I am going to forward to the magistrate my feelings on this case. If he is forced with this type of case again, he can then provide different options to the individual.'' Mr. Warner yesterday had another homeless man, Ronald Philpott, before him, who was accused of threatening community activist Charles Spanswick with a knife after he had asked him to pick up trash he had picked from a bin.

But Mr. Warner dismissed the case, saying Mr. Philpott was not a known nuisance and urged him to stay out of trouble.

PHOPTO Familiar sight: Eugene (Jinx) Darrell, who received a conditional discharge yesterday.