MAGISTRATE HANDS DOWN STIFF FINES FOR DRUG POSSESSION

Magistrate Edward King could not contain his despair yesterday as he handed
stiff fines and a one-year prison sentence to young drug offenders.

"When I see young people like yourself - and this one and that one - wasting
their life replacing those who have passed on as long term residents of her
majesty's prison, the future has to be bleak," the Magistrate told Adam
Leroy King, a 25-year-old Hamilton Parish resident. "Because you youngsters
end up making no meaningful contribution to society and when you get old
you'll probably be among those who are described as having made Bermuda what
it is, and they deserve better, they deserve more pension."

King, who is not related to the Magistrate, had pleaded guilty to possessing
0.13 grams of cocaine. He had been arrested on an unrelated matter on the
afternoon of June 22 in Warwick when Police found a brown twist of paper
containing the drug.

The court heard that he had "You've been trying for a long time," Mr. King
responded to the young man he once called his "son" - because they share the
same surname but are not related - while adjudicating a criminal case three
years ago.

"So much so that your mother has ceased to come to court with you anymore.
You're getting older and older and older."

He fined King $1,000 with the warning that the law does not distinguish
between "a mite or a mammoth" of illicit drugs.

"If you're going to stamp it out, you have to come down and hit it," he
said. "A sledgehammer each time will always kill a flea. Many fleas kill a
dog."

The same fine was meted out to Abdul Yusef Ebbin, a 36-year-old resident of
Slippery Hill, St. Georges who was found with 0.23 grams of cannabis in
November last year. Ebbin's luck turned when he almost collided with a
Police car, reversed and apologised and was promptly searched.

Police found the cannabis wrapped in a two dollar bill, the court was told.
Ebbin, who pleaded guilty to illicit drug possession, told Mr. King that he
only worked on weekends and asked for a month to pay the fine.

"Get yourself a job and start working on Monday," Mr. King said. "Nobody
brought up in Bermuda in the last 35 years can say that he does not know
that this society does not tolerate drugs."

He ordered Ebbin to pay the fine by November 5 or spend 120 days in prison.

But it was straight to prison for Devaugn Jamahll Cox, 20, of Orchard Grove,
Pembroke who pleaded guilty to possessing 1.70 grams of cocaine with a
street value of $521. Cox appeared nervous when Police, acting on
information received from residents, entered the St. Monica's Mission area
one June afternoon, the court was told.

The Police spotted him throw something away which landed in a clear area
free of debris. Cox told the Police that it was a piece of paper but upon
further examination it was found to be a twist of paper containing pellets
of cocaine. He had a number of previous convictions of a similar nature and
was last year fined $2,000 for cocaine possession near a school. Cox claimed
the drug was for personal use and said he had lost his father and was
"stressed out" and "it's painful, your honour".

"Your daddy's been dead over two years," Mr. King said. "I knew your daddy,
I know the whole family. So are you going to back off, or are you still
going to tell me what you want to tell me?"

Cox apologised and promised not to repeat the offence, saying: "I want a
future so I can have the best start in life," he said.

Mr. King imposed a six months prison sentence. "I'm sick and tired of
preaching to you youngsters. Sick and tired. I can remember the first time
you appeared in front of me and I preached to you and begged you not to
follow the others - to try and break the mould."

He added that he did not enjoy sending "these youngsters to prison. But they
are their own worst enemies", adding: "If at a tender age, they are not
going to break away, when are you going to stop?"