Trio charged with running illegal gambling on the Niobe Corinthian

Three people appeared in court yesterday charged with running an illegal gaming house on-board the Niobe Corinthian casino ship.

Pablo Cabus Riera, Margo Zella Simons and Curtis Denzil Steve Simons entered not guilty pleas at Magistrates' Court to one count of keeping a common gaming house on-board the vessel in St. George's on September 14 last year.

All three opted for a summary trial and the case was set for mention in two week's time. Riera, 73, is the ship's captain and his address was given as care of the Niobe Corinthian.

Margo Simons, 52, is of Seagull Lane, Pembroke, and Curtis Simons, 56, lives on Court Street, Pembroke. Bail was granted for the defendants in the sum of $1,000 each. The court heard that a fourth defendant, John Bernell Jefferies, 33, of North Shore Road, Hamilton, is also due to appear in connection with the case.

Man admits $20 fake charity scam

A Sandys man yesterday admitted obtaining $20 from a woman by pretending he was collecting it for a prostate cancer charity.

Randolph Simons, 43, of Kitchener's Close, pleaded guilty to the offence, which happened on December 1 last year, at Magistrates' Court. He also admitted stealing boxer shorts and shirts worth a total of $90 from Southampton MarketPlace on February 10.

Sentencing was adjourned for a Social Inquiry Report to be done and the case was adjourned until March 26.

Two men admit impaired driving

A motorcyclist who rode his bike while three-and-a-half times over the drink-drive limit was banned from the roads for a year yesterday.

Patrick White, 38, was spotted by Police driving along Front Street in the early hours of January 31, Magistrates' Court heard yesterday. Prosecutor Robert Welling said the officers followed him to Crow Lane as he swerved from side to side, eventually stopping him and asking him to put his bike on its stand.

"The defendant had difficulty controlling the cycle," he said, adding that White told the officers he'd been out for a drink after work.

He gave a breath sample which came back with two readings of 285mg and 267mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood. The legal limit is 80mg. White, who pleaded guilty to impaired driving and whose address was not given in court, also received a $1,000 fine and ten points on his licence.

The same sentence was meted out to Geoffrey Hindess, of Olive Bark Lane, Warwick, who admitted driving a car while impaired on Harbour Road. The 32-year-old Cafe Cairo worker gave Police a breath sample at Hamilton Police Station after he was stopped at the intersection with Strawberry Hill in the early hours of December 29 last year. The lower reading was 135mg in 100ml of blood.

Injured seal recovering

A stray visitor to our shores is lapping up his new surroundings, munching on fish and sunning himself.

The injured seal found on a Devonshire beach on Sunday is making good progress, according to Dr. Ian Walker, acting principal curator at the Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo.

"He's enjoying the sun and has eaten a good portion of fish," said Dr. Walker yesterday. "In fact he's one of the few wild animals I've ever seen who on the second day was eating dead fish.

"Most animals are so used to hunting fish themselves they don't know what to do with a dead one, but this guy was so hungry he went straight for it."

The young male is only the fourth Harbour Seal to reach Bermuda in the past 150 years and the second in six weeks

New Yorker fined $1,500 for cannabis

An American who brought cannabis to the Island on a flight from New York was fined $1,500 yesterday.

Frank Whelan, 34, admitted a charge of importation at Magistrates' Court.

Prosecutor Robert Welling said a sniffer dog alerted narcotics officers at L.F. Wade International Airport to Whelan after he arrived here on a JetBlue flight from New York on February 6.

Mr. Welling said Whelan, a mail courier whose address was not given in court, admitted that he was carrying a small amount of drugs. After his arrest, he asked officers: "Can you give me a break? I'm sorry for what I've done."

Tests on the plant material on his person showed it to be 1.69 grams of cannabis. Whelan told the court he was leaving the Island today. Acting Magistrate Nicole Stoneham ordered him to pay the fine immediately or face 15 days in jail.

US agencies celebrate Black History Month

Black History Month was commemorated at L.F. Wade International Airport for the first time.

US Customs and Border Protection organised a ceremony in the airport's preclearance facilities. The guest speaker was former Premier Dame Pamela Gordon-Banks.

Dame Pamela gave a presentation on the importance of public service, stating people must listen, have a good attitude and pay attention to the public they serve. US Consul General Gregory Slayton was also in attendance.

He said, "Today's celebration of Black History Month is especially fitting as Bermuda celebrates its 400th anniversary. It is important that we recognise the past as we move into the future together."

Flat screen TVs stolen from two homes

Flat screen televisions were stolen from two unoccupied homes in burglaries on Wednesday.

A 50-inch Samsung TV, silver digital camera and jewellery were taken from an address in Watlington Lane North, Devonshire, between 7.30 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Meanwhile a 32-inch Sony TV was stolen from a residence in Pitts Bay Road, Pembroke, between 8.50 a.m. and 4.50 p.m.

Witnesses should call Police on 295-0011 or CrimeStoppers, anonymously on 1-800-623-8477.