Two homeless men were remanded in custody yesterday after admitting they stole $7,000 worth of cash and goods from the Bermuda Musical and Dramatic Society club.

Norman Sonny Bell and Dwayne Robert Young pleaded guilty before Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner to the Sunday morning break-in at the private members club.

Bell, 39, who prosecutor Oonagh Goodred said "sometimes'' stays on Cobb's Hill Road, and Young, 35, of no fixed abode have several previous convictions between them for breaking and entering and dishonesty.

After hearing the summary of evidence, Mr. Warner said his sentencing powers of up to one year was not sufficient punishment for the men.

"This is not just breaking and entering,'' Mr. Warner explained, "this is callous disregard for other people's property.

"It happened twice and you both have extensive criminal backgrounds, by and large relating to the same type of offence,'' he added. "I don't think that my powers are sufficient to summarily deal with you.'' Bell, told Mr. Warner that "I'm just caught up in drugs'' and "drugs have got me, I'm sorry'' but Young had nothing to say.

Ms Goodred said Bell entered the Washington Street club early on October 8 via an insecure door on the roof.

He got away with a Sharp videocassette recorder, five bottles of assorted liquor, several packets of cigarettes, and four dollars in US cash.

Bell met Young on Dundonald Street and the pair went back to the club, entered through an unlocked door and stole 11 more bottles of alcohol, $800 US and $5,000 Bermuda dollars.

They got the cash in the locked compartments of an unlocked safe, using two hammers and a screwdriver found on the property.

Ms Goodred said the pair used the money for drugs and for a rented hotel room where they availed themselves of local prostitutes. None of the property has been recovered.

Bell was in the precincts of the courts on Monday for trial and failed to show for its continuation on Tuesday.

He opted to plead guilty to a charge of stealing $250 and a cash register from Fantasea Diving at Darrell's Wharf on February 2 with another man -- who is still on trial.

That offence was committed while Bell while he was serving a sentence set by the Supreme Court.

As part of drug counselling offered by HM Prisons, Bell had been sent to Focus Counselling's intensive programme at Darrell's Island.

During the trial a Police detective told how he went to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital to find Bell and alleged accomplice Chris Winslow Ray there with wet clothes.

Yesterday, Bell admitted stealing the cash register, but denied stealing $250, saying: "It wasn't $250 though! That guy's (owner Michael Peers) lying.'' Bell also told Mr. Warner that he "nearly lost my life'' when a boat in which he was traveling capsized and he had to be rescued.

CRIME CRM HOMELESS HSG