A story in Monday's paper incorrctly said that a report on the prison service said prison officers called in sick every four days. In fact, the report said prison officers were not available for work for 63.5 days out of 261 paid days year, due to training, vacations and an average of 17.5 days of sick leave.

A Devonshire man will spend five months in prison for assaulting his girlfriend and stealing a knapsack.

Kimlo Webb, 29, of Loyal Hill Road, pleaded guilty in Magistrates' Court to assaulting Laquita Steede on January 24 at her home on Field View Lane, Pembroke.

Police prosecutor Sgt. Donald Grant told Magistrate Edward King the two had a six-year relationship that had ended eight months ago.

Ms Steede had left their two children with a babysitter after 10 p.m. on January 23 and returned at 11.30 a.m. the next day.

She found Webb in the apartment with her two children. The younger child, a three-year-old, ran into her arms.

Webb then asked about her whereabouts the previous evening and slapped her right cheek with his left hand.

Sgt. Grant said the beating continued with more blows until Ms Steede fell to the floor, still holding the baby.

After Webb left the apartment, Ms Steede found that the refrigerator had been moved in front of a broken window.

Police were called and took Ms Steede to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital where she was treated for a cut to her nose, right cheek, and lip, and for bruising to her right eye.

Sgt. Grant added that Webb was later arrested but had nothing to say to Police at any time.

Webb also pleaded guilty to stealing a knapsack from Barbara Norford on January 12.

Norford, the owner of Kids College Nursery in the New Testament Church of God on Dundonald Street, Pembroke, discovered that her knapsack was missing after Webb had dropped off his younger daughter.

He rode off on a cycle with his older daughter, who he was taking to Warwick Pre-school, and stopped on secluded Tribe Road No. 2 in Paget.

Sgt. Grant added that Webb -- in front of his daughter -- rifled through the stolen bag and removed a monthly bus pass and a pack of candies.

Webb threw the rest of the contents, including a Bible in which a cheque of $541 had been hidden, into nearby trees.

Police arrested Webb on January 15 after receiving information. Webb refused to say anything, but directed Police to the site where he dropped the bag.

Sgt. Grant told Mr. King that Webb had a record going back to 1984 and had received a six-month prison sentence for assaulting Ms Steede in 1986.

Mr. King asked Webb: "You've never been upstairs (Supreme Court)?'' When Webb answered no, Mr. King continued: "You're practising hard, you know.'' "This is the last chance, the next train is going to end up there,'' Mr. King added.

"A woman can go wherever she wants. If she doesn't want you, go find another one, yes man, walk away!'' He then handed down a four-month prison sentence for the assault.

But before sentencing Webb for the second charge, Mr. King told him: "You need help man, but you have to want help.

"Don't blame the system. It's time someone talked to young people the way I'm talking to you.'' Mr. King sentenced Webb to 28 days for theft. The sentences are to run consecutively.