US woman, Canadian man cleared of drug importation charges

Two out of four foreign nationals charged in an alleged multi-million dollar drug importation plot have been cleared.

Prosecutors offered no evidence against Jeannie Harden, 58, of Charleston, United States, and Edide Plourde, 69, of Quebec, Canada after a preliminary inquiry by Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo in December. The others still facing charges are Andrew Blatchley, 58, also of Charleston, and Peter Sagos, 35, of Ottawa, Canada.

Blatchley and Sagos are due to be arraigned on February 1.

Georgia woman denies cannabis importation charge

A 29-year-old American woman pleaded not guilty in Magistrates' Court yesterday to importing almost $70,000 of cannabis.

Tameika Bradshaw, a bus driver from Atlanta, Georgia, was charged with importing 1,397.7 grammes of cannabis to the Island on January 2 and possessing cannabis with intent to supply on the same date. She pleaded not guilty to both charges.

Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner ordered that Bradshaw be remanded in custody until January 9, when she will appear again in Magistrates' Court for trial.

Deepdale Road home burglarised

Cash was stolen during a burglary at a home on Deepdale Road West, Pembroke, on Monday.

The theft took place sometime between 8.15 a.m and 12.15 p.m.

Busy weekend for Marine Police

Bermuda's Marine Police had a busy weekend dealing with boats breaking free from their moorings in the stormy weather.

According to a spokesperson, a 60ft sailboat broke its moorings in Ely's Harbour and drifted ashore, but officers were able to free it and resecure it.

Marine Police issued an advisory in the hope of preventing further incidents over the winter months.

An officer recommended that boats should be checked on a regular basis and batteries kept fully charged so bilge pumps function properly. They also urged owners to update their contact information with Marine and Ports if necessary.

Filipino sailor now at KEMH

A sailor on an oil tanker who suffered a broken leg on New Year's Day finally arrived in Bermuda yesterday and was taken to hospital.

The 50-year-old Filipino was injured when a wave crashed over the bow of the Genmar Progress, a 52,000-ton tanker.

The ship, which is Liberian-registered, was en-route from Nigeria to Halifax, in Canada, when the accident happened around 1,000 nautical miles east of Bermuda.

It diverted to the Island, but the inclement weather hampered its progress. At 9.50 a.m. yesterday, a Marine and Ports pilot boat transferred the man to an ambulance at Ordnance Island, St. George's.

Smoke alarm may have saved woman's life

Fire officers say a smoke alarm may have saved the life of a 53-year-old St. George's woman.

The Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service wants to remind the public of the importance of fitting smoke alarms in their homes to protect both life and property.

Divisional Officer, Lieutenant Dana Lovell, said such a device alerted a woman in St. George's to a fire in her bedroom caused by a faulty electrical socket around 2.30 a.m. Monday.

The woman saw smoke and firefighters were called to the house on Mission House Close at 2.30 a.m. on Monday.

D.O. Lovell said: "If people do not have a working smoke alarm they should give serious consideration to installing one as soon as possible. This is one example where this person was saved."

Teen fined for having cannabis

A Pembroke man was fined $1,000 after pleading guilty to possessing cannabis resin.

According to Crown counsel Carrington Mahoney, Sanjay Fostin, 19, was arrested for drug possession on December 17, 2008. At around 1.30 a.m., Police on patrol in the Middletown Road area noticed two men on a motorcycle approach a group of people.

Mr. Mahoney said that when the riders noticed the Police, they immediately drove away from the group. Police pulled over the vehicle and noticed that Fostin – the pillion passenger – appeared nervous and smelled of cannabis.

During a search, the officers found a small zip-lock back containing a brown, rocklike substance, later identified as 0.26 grams of cannabis resin. Fostin, who was 18 years old at the time, told the officers he didn't know what the substance was, but admitted he had it for his own personal use.

Fostin was scheduled to appear in court in April last year, but he told the Magistrates' Court yesterday that he was incarcerated in the US at the time.

Twelve people injured in road accidents last week

Twelve people were injured on Bermuda's roads last week, according to Police statistics.

A further 38 collisions were reported where only the vehicles were damaged. Seven drivers were arrested because they were thought to be drunk. Nine motor cycles were stolen, with one later recovered.

The statistics span the period December 28 to January 4.