A Pembroke man who admitted to stealing a BlackBerry Curve was sentenced to three months imprisonment in Magistrates' Court.

Erin Richardson, 24, of Woodlands Road, stole the cell phone from Kristin White, a patron at Docksiders Pub and Restaurant, in Hamilton, on June 29.

The court heard Ms White took her BlackBerry, valued at $190, from her handbag and used it to send a few text messages around 3.15 p.m.

Moments later she felt someone press up against her and when she reached to get her phone it was gone.

The next day she went to her cellphone provider to get a new phone.

Ms White was advised that she could restore her contacts on her stolen phone.

But when she accessed the BlackBerry Messenger, the information there belonged to another person.

She alerted Police and they were able to use new contacts to identify the offender as Richardson.

He was arrested at his home and told Police he bought the cell phone off another person.

He told Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner: "I had been drinking and when I did get arrested I brought the phone straight to the Police and gave it to the lady. I won't make that mistake again."

Mr. Warner sentenced Richardson to three months in prison.