chain, gold pendant and gold ring.

Magistrate Archibald Warner ordered that social inquiry reports be compiled on the men, three of whom are brothers and two of whom have suspended prison sentences hanging over them.

Twenty-seven year old Jamel Evans, Jahziro Samuels, 24, Andrew Hayward, 20, and 18-year-old Howard Hayward all from Pembroke, confessed to the crime in Magistrates' Court.

The court heard how on April 12 three of the men decided to break into and rob one of the Littleton Apartments in Pembroke.

Evidence given by Police prosecutor Sgt. Phil Taylor cited the three as first trying to gain entry to the home through a bathroom window. When this did not work, they tried to get in through the front door.

They met with difficulty here as well, the court was told, and after 45 minutes decided to get a crow bar.

According to Sgt. Taylor, the fourth man saw their efforts and was asked to get a crow bar. He returned with one and helped pry the door open.

Sgt. Taylor explained that the four then went into a black duffel bag behind the bed in the bedroom. From here they stole $5,000 in cash, a gold chain, pendant and ring.

The four then reportedly went to another apartment in the complex, watched TV, concocted an alibi and divided the money evenly.

Police officers took Evans and Samuels into custody late the same night, and arrested the Hayward brothers the next day.

Police have managed to recover all of the jewellery, but only $1,097 of the cash. Each of the accused showed officers where they had stored their loot.

The jewellery and $125 had been stashed in the rafters of a shed on Canal Road, $798 in cash was hidden in some trees close to the Tennis Stadium and $294 had been put in a bathroom cabinet.

Jahziro Samuels, Howard Hayward and Andrew Hayward are all brothers. They are all single and unemployed.

Howard Hayward is currently on a suspended prison sentence issued by Senior Magistrate Will Francis. Mr. Francis had sentenced Hayward to three months in prison for stealing a video tape from Leisure Time. That sentence was handed down last year and suspended for two years.

Eldest of the group, Evans, has a wife and three children. He has a two-year suspended prison sentence for unlawful assault to his wife and to a Police officer back in February last year.

Mr. Warner expressed concern that Evans did not seem to have learned anything from his previous offences. He noted that for three counts of "serious breaking and enterings into guest accommodations'', Evans received the lowest possible sentence -- 80 hours of community service.

Expressing his relief that a social inquiry report has been ordered, Evans said: "I will be remorseful about this your honour, I made a mistake.'' The court heard from duty counsel Renee Foggo that Evans is under financial strain and that sending him to prison will not help his three children. Ms Foggo also claimed that Evans has applied for a job and is waiting for "a call back''.

Miss Foggo also pointed out that the three brothers were trying to get their GED (high school equivalency diploma) certificates. Two are enrolled at the Adult Education Centre while one is at the CARE computer school.

Each of the four was released on $1,000 bail and a like surety. They will be back in court for sentencing at the end of May.