Magistrate Convicts Two Men On Assault Charges

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27499, 5 November 1954, Page 17

Magistrate Convicts Two Men On Assault Charges

“On this charge you are convicted and ordered to come up for sentence within six months if called upon, but let me warn you, Thomas, unless you keep\ away from this dwelling and these, persons, I will send you to prison,” said Mr Raymond Ferner,. S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, when Jack Amuri Thomas, aged 30, a rubber worker (Mr R. B. Shand), was convicted on a charge of assaulting Benjamin Arthur Best on October 20. He pleaded guilty to the charge. Senior-Sergeant A. B. Collinge said that on October 20, about 5.45 p.m., Thomas went to the home of the complainant and asked to see him. When Best came to the door the accused grabbed him by the neck and struck his several blows. Mr Shand said Thomas now realised he had been foolish to go to the house and that he had been even more foolish to let his temper get the better of him. FINED £4 A charge of having assaulted David Wiliam Cronin 6n October 2 was admitted by Walter Harrison. When he said he had nothing to say, the Magistrate convicted him and sentenced him to seven days’ imprisonment with hard labour for what he termed “an unprovoked assault.” At the end of the Court sitting, Mr H. W. Hunter gave the Magistrate the background, to the assault and the prison sentence was altered and Harrison was fined £4.

Senior-Sergeant A. B. Collinge said that about 5.10 p.m. on October 2, Cronin was in the public bar of the Lancaster Park Hotel when accused accosted him. The complainant then said he did not want to speak to accused. Accused then struck Cronin in the face. Accused once worked for Cronin and was dismissed.

Mr Hunter said the reason why Harrison wished to speak to Cronin was that he had heard that Cronin had been making slanderous statements about him. When Cronin refused to speak with him, Harrison lost his temper and hit him. Harrison, from the dock, said he had worked for Cronin for some time and then had a difference of opinion with him and left.

REMANDED Eric Francis Elkis, aged 32, was remanded to November 11 on a charge of indecently assaulting a male on October 22. Detective-Sergeant G. C. Urquhart said further charges were pending. Joseph Eric Cornish, aged 42, a labourer (Mr E. J. Somers), was further remanded to November 18 on a charge that on September 15, at Paparua Prison, he assaulted A. E. Blake, a prison warder, by hitting him on the face with a broken water glass.

A man whose name was ordered to be suppressed in the meantime was remanded to November 11 on a charge that on October 28 he wilfully set fire to the Belfast Hotel, thereby committing arson. He was represented by Mr D. H. Godfrey. THEFT OF WATCH AND COAT

Maurice Frederick Barr, aged 20, a labourer, pleaded guilty to that on October 22 he stole a wristlet watch, valued at £5, the property of Freda Tait, and that on October 27 he stole a man’s coat, valued at £lO, the property of William George Woodcock. He was remanded to November 9 for sentence, the Magistrate calling for a report from the Probation Officer. Detective-Sergeant Urquhart said that on October 22 accused called at his mother’s home to collect some clothing. He had an argument with his mother and she refused to give him the clothes. As he left the house he took the watch, thinking it was his mother's. The watch actually belonged to his sister. Later, while at his uncle’s home, he had no money so took an overcoat. He was at present on licence from Borstal.

THEFT FROM DWELLING Alan Stewart McLintock, aged 20, a labourer, was remanded to November 9, when he pleaded guilty to a charge that on or about October 18 he stole a diamond ring valued at £55 and a cash box, of a total value of £55 15s, from a dwelling occupied by John Edward Ross Lorimer. The Magistrate asked for a report from the Probation Officer Detective-Sergeant Urquhart said that on November 3 the police received information that two youths were attempting to sell a diamond rmg. They were interviewed and accused admitted having stolen the ring. He said he went to a house looking for his mother, who had gone to a doctor. It was the wrong house. He opened a drawer in a bureau and took out a cash box. It contained a diamond ring which he kept. He threw the cash box into the river. He was at present on licence from Borstal. FINED FOR SHIP DESERTION Donald Macleod, aged 27, a seaman (Mr W. G. P. Cunmgham) pleaded guilty to a charge of deserting from the overseas ship Mataroa on October 27, 1949, at Wellington. He was convicted and fined £lO. e Mr R. W. Edgley said Macleod had deserted under the old law, and was not liable to deportation. He was one of eight men who deserted from the ship, and they had cost the shipping gompany about £ 1000 through their actions. A , Mr Cuningham said that since he had deserted, Macleod had lived in New Zealand under his own name, and had worked on coastal and colonial ships. He was married and had a child. Thomas Martin, secretary of the Seamen’s Union, called by Mr Cuningham to give evidence of Macleod’s character, said his conduct and ability could not be equalled. “I only wish we had another 200 like him,” he said.

DISORDERLY BEHAVIOUR Charges against Alfred Styants Darling ana Lawrence Joseph Darling of behaving in a disorderly manner in Cashel street on October 7, were dismissed. They were represented by Mr H. W. Hunter, and pleaded not guilty to the charges. . x . Similar charges against Kevin

Crannich and Colin Clive Matthew Worters, who were involved in what ■Mras described as a “brawl” with the Darling brothers, were upheld by the Magistrate. Neither of the two defendants appeared. Crannich was convicted and fined £5 and Worters £3. BROKE AND ENTERED SHOP Two charges against Kenneth Greenwood, aged 27, a farm labourer, were admitted. They were that on October 2 at Te Hora he broke and entered the shop of Freda Kathleen McCartney and stole £lO, and that on the same day at Te flora he converted a bicycle valued at £lO 10s, the property of Thomas Thorpe. He wtfs remanded for sentence to November 9.

Senior-Sergeant Collinge said Constable J. B. Gott, of Rangiora, interviewed accused, who admitted having broken into the shop in Te Hora for food and stealing £lO in money. He had said when he was leaving the shop he saw a bicycle a short distance away and converted it. Accused was on his way to fill a position at the Ashley State Forest when arrested.

LICENSING BREACHES The following persons were each fined £1 for being on the licensed premises of the Bluff Hotel, Coalgate, without lawful excuse: Norman Howard Marsh, Lionel David Le Compte, and Barry Smith. LIT RUBBISH FIRE

.For lighting a rubbish fire within 30 feet of a building, Frank Roland. Smythe was fined 20s. LIQUOR NEAR DANCE HALL

Stephen James Stuart Mitchell was fined £3 for having liquor near the Darfield Hall on October 8 while a dance was in progress. UNLAWFULLY ON LICENSED PREMISES

Murray Edgar Boswell pleaded guilty to a charge that being under the age of 21 he was on licensed premises of the Market Hotel on October 2. He was convicted and fined £2. FINED FOR BICYCLE CONVERSION ‘.‘l don’t believe a word of it,” said the Magistrate, when Mare Nepe Broughton, aged 34, a slaughterman, told the Court that while he was drunk he was hurrying to catch a train and another man who was drunk offered to lend him a bicycle to get to the station. Broughton was charged with having converted a bicycle valued at £25, the property of Arnold Owen Hepburn, on September 4. He pleaded not guilty. He was convicted and fined £6. PERMITTED COWS TO WANDER Lester Sparks (Mr B. McClelland) was fined £2 for allowing two cows to wander on Cashmere road on October 2 without proper guidance. (Before Mr Rex C. Abernethy, S.M.) ADMITTED TO PROBATION

A young woman, whose name was suppressed, was convicted and admitted to probation for two years on a charge of stealing an overcoat. She was represented by Mr W. G‘. P. Cuningham. A condition of her 1 probation is that «he make regular deposits in a Post Office Savings Bank account as directed by the probation officer. NAME SUPPRESSED A man whose name was suppressed in the meantime, was further remanded to November 8 for sentence on a charge of indecently assaulting a female. CIVIL CASES (Before Mr L. N. Ritchie, S.M. ) ORDERS FOR POSSESSION E. B. Turnbull, a married woman (Mr B. J. Drake), claimed possession of a farm property occupied by F. R. May, a horse trainer (Mr W. F. Brown), at 493 Pages road at a rental of £4 a week. Judgment was given for plaintiff and, by consent, the Magistrate directed that the warrant for possession rest for' three months. An order for payment of £1 18s 7d and possession was given George Stockdill, a farmer, of Geraldine (Mr J. M. McFarlane), against L. M. Raharuhi. a drainlayer (Mr W. F. Brown), in a claim for possession of premises owned by plaintiff at 333 Keyes road, New Brighton, and tenanted by defendant. The Magistrate ordered the warrant for possession to rest unless defendant did not pay rent within a month of its being due.

JUDGMENT SUMMONSES On judgment summonses Gordon Frederick Burrell Smith was ordered to pay Bradley Brothers, Ltd., £5 3s 4d, in default five days* imprisonment; Leslie Clark was ordered to pay R. W. Oliff £42 Ils, in default five weeks* imprisonment; Joy Polson was ordered to pay L. G. Amos, Ltd., £l5 13s 9d, in default two weeks’ imprisonment; Margaret Anning was ordered to pay Geoffrey Furniss £4l 14s 7d, in default five weeks’ imprisonment; J. D. Port was ordered to pay B. Halliday £24 2s Bd. in default three weeks’ imprisonment; T. M. Abbott was ordered to pay £36 6s to John Keith Davidson, in default five weeks* imprisonment: Frank Gibson was ordered to pay the Commissioner of Inland Revenue £8 18s 6d, in default eight days’ imprisonment; Larry Collings was ordered to pay the Commissioner of Inland Revenue 4s, in default four days’ imprisonment; Kenneth Edward Mayndrd was ordered to pay the Commissioner of Inland Revenue £3l 9s 9d, in default four weeks’ imprisonment. (Before Mr Rex C. Abernethy, S.M.) ORDERS FOR POSSESSION Bryan P. Palliser, a carpenter (Mr G. S. Brockett), was ordered to give possession of premises at 398 Ilam road to Owen Cecil Mitchell, a builder (Mr G. G. Lockwood), on or before January 31, 1955.

In a statement of claim plaintiff said that in August, 1952, when the house at 398 Ilam road was being built he verbally agreed to sell the house (and defendant agreed to buy it) for £3300 when It was completed. 'Hie terms agreed to were that defendant should have time to raise finance, that he should occupy the house as purchaser, and that ne should have £3 a week deducted from his wages till completion of purchase. Defendant had taken up residence in the house in September, 1952. He repeatedly promised to complete the purchase of the premises, but last February he told him (plaintiff) that he could not arrange the necessary finance and would not complete the purchase. Defendant had failed to vacate the premises on or before. September 9 when ordered to do so on August 28.