Youth Admits Thefts From Parents’ Home

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27750, 30 August 1955, Page 7

Youth Admits Thefts From Parents’ Home

MAGISTRATES COURT

The theft of money and property valued at £lO5 from his parents’ home was admitted by Gordon Bruce Woodhead, aged 19, unemployed, before Mr L. N. Ritchie, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court yesterday. He was reminded to September 5 for sentence and for a probation officer’s report. Bail was renewed.

He was charged that oh August 9 he stole £9, the property of Gary Errent Woodhead; that on August 11 he stole a radio valued at £5, and clothing, of a total value of £26, the property of Ernest Michael Woodhead; and that on July 21 he stole a euphonium valued at £7O, the property of the Crichton Cobbers’ Club. He pleaded guilty to ail charges. Detective-Sergeant G. C. Urquhart said that on August 9 a complaint was rece.ived from Gary Woodhead, a brother of the accused, that £9 had been stolen from his room at his parents’ home. Suspicion rested on the accused, who had been living away from home at the time. He had been seen by a neighbour visiting the house in the morning. He had taken the key from a hiding place, and opened the back door, said Detective-Sergeant Urquhart. . On August 13 the accused called at I the Central Police Station. He had no money, no accommodation, and no job. When interviewed he admitted the thefts, said Detective-Sergeant Urquhart. The accused had told a detective that when he returned from Hamilton with a friend he had no money. He had gone home, taken the house key, and stolen the money. He said he had lost nearly all the money at the races. He had saved 30s, and this he had spent on accommodation expenses and on liquor. On August 11, he said, he had again visited the house, and not being able to find the house key had entered by a fanlight. He had removed the clothing he was wearing and changed into his father’s clothing. He | also took a radio from the house, and Isold it for £6 to a dealer. It was also established that he had disposed of a euphoqium to a dealer for £l3. The disappearance of the instrument was noticed by the accused's father. “The accused’s parents say they have done everything possible to assist him,” said Detective-Sergeant Urquhart. “They said they had often paid out money to dealers to redeem property stolen from the house, but they have now realised that when he began breaking into the house they had to do something about it,” said Detective- . Sergeant Urquhart. DRUNKENNESS Thomas John Ballantine, aged 37, a labourer, was convicted and fined £2 on a charge that on August 27 he was drunk in Ferry road, having been once previously convicted of a similar offence within the last six months. UNLAWFULLY- ON PREMISES

Ronald Piwari, aged 19, a carpentei pleaded guilty to a charge that o: August 26 he was found without law ful excuse, but in circumstances tha

did not disclose the commission of or the intention to commit any other offence, on the enclosed premises of 622 Colombo street. He was remanded to September 5 for sentence, the Magistrate asking for a report from the probation officer. Detective-Sergeant G. C. Urquhart said that at 11.30 p.m. on Saturday Constable N F. Pipe was in his front garden when he noticed a man acting suspiciously in the garden of a house directly opposite. The man then moved to a house alongside. < and peered through a lighted window that had the shades only half drawn. He stayed there for about five minutes,, and then Constable Pipe apprehended him. It was later ascertained that a woman had been undressing in the room at the time, said Detective-Sergeant Urquhart. • REMANDED

Edward Ernest Ralph Wykes, aged 32, a clicker (Mr J. G. Leggat) was remanded to today on a charge that on August 20 he assaulted Allan Sydney Wykes. MOTORISTS IMPRISONED Edward George Bruhns, a cafe proprietor, aged 48 (Mr J. G. Malthus), was sentenced to seven days’ imprisonment when he was convicted of driving a car in Manchaster street while under the influence of drink. He pleaded not guilty. His licence was also cancelled, and he was prohibited 1 from obtaining another for 18 months. Dr. R. W. Blain said he examined Bruhns on August 20, about 6.25 p.m. “I found him not fit to drive a car. His speech was slightly slurred, he was very unsteady on his feet, and although quite co-operative, was very vague, and his co-ordination was very much impaired,” he said. “He admitted having more to drink than he should.” To Mr Malthus, the witness said that Eruhns had told him during the examination that he had been working long hours. A few symptoms could be put down to fatigue as well as

Traffic Officer H. J. McMorran, of the City Council, said he went to the scene of an accident in which Bruhns’s car had hit the right rear fender of a taxi at the intersection of Manchester street and Oxford terrace. The witness said he noticed Bruhns’s condition, and arrested him. • Bruhns was “so far under the effect of alcohol that I was satisfied his arrest was justified.” Constable C. J. Cruickshank said he was in the watchhouse when Bruhns was brought in. He had some difficulty in finding a doctor. ‘ ‘The accused told me he had been drinking beer, but did not know how much he had consumed.” Bruhns said he had been working long hours in his cafe. He had been at work in the kitchen until 3 a.m. on Saturday, and gone home for two hours’ sleep, and had worked again from 7 a.m. until 11.30 a.m. He went to the races, left there about 4 p.m., and went to a hotel. He drank beer and a little stout until 6, p.m. The accident occurred about 6.20 p.m. The brakes on his car were faulty, bul the accident <was caused by his fatigue. It should be apparent that a person fatigued by long hours would be more impaired by alcohol than someone in normal condition, said the Magistrate. In the past, Magistrates in the South Island had seen fit to view cases of mild intoxication just as seriously as those in which the offenders were

well under the influence of liquor, said the Magistrate, when sentencing Alec Robert Hutcheson, aged 47, a plasterer Mr E. M. Hay), who had pleaded guilty to a charge that on August 20, while under the influence of liquor, he drove a car on River road. A man who was well under the influence of liquor might realise that he was not fit to drive, and pull into the side of the road, whereas those who were

only slightly under the influence thought they were fit to drive, and so could be more dangerous, said the Magistrate.

Sub-Inspector J. C. Fletcher said lhat at 8.10 p.m. the accused was driving his car along North Avon road towards River road. At the intersection he endeavoured to turn right, and collided with another car. He was examined by Dr. F. L. Scott at 9 p.m., and was certified as not a bad case of intoxication. A police sergeant had considered him to be a mild case. Mr Hay said that the accused had been working in the morning, and towards the end of the afternoon had gone to the Richmond Working Men’s Club, where he had some liquor. He had been occupied with club business until 8 p.m. His car was an old model, and the model was notoriously hard to steer. He would be a substantial loser, since his car was not insured. The other car was fairly badly damaged, and as the accused was not a bad case and he would have to pay for the damage to the other car, Mr Hay asked that .he be fined instead of imprisoned. The accused was convicted and sentenced to seven days’ imprisonment his driving licence was cancelled, and he was prohibited from holding another lor 12 months. REMANDED

Eric Francis Williams, aged 34, a painter (Mr N. Hattaway) was remanded to September 5, on a charge that, on August 27, while under the influence of liquor, he drove a car

in Humphreys drive. Two further charges of having used a car without due care and attention and. wthout a warrant of fitness, were adjourned to the same date.

FALSE PRETENCES. Mervyn George Patrick Downes, aged 36, a drier (Mr B. McClelland) and Ross Hamilton Wilson, aged 32, a cook (Mr A. D. Holland) were remanded until September 5, on charges of cashing valueless cheques totalling £B3 6s. They pleaded guilty to each of the three charges, and Downes also gleaded guilty to another charge of reaking and entering, the home of Vincent Liewellin Davies, and steal-

ing property valued at £lO3. Detective-Sergeant G. C. Urquhart said that on August 11 the police received a complaint that an unknown man had presented a worthless cheque for £26 18s to James Alan Williams in payment of an account for Downes, and had received £23 3s in change. On the same day Hay’s, Ltd., complained that an unknown man had called and presented a cheque for £25 18s in, payment of an account for Downes, and had received £2O 3s

in change. The cheque was worthless. Inquiries were made, said DetectiveSergeant Urquhart, and it was discovered that Downes and Wilson had travelled to Wellington. They were questioned there. Downes told the police that on July 26 he had been drinking with two other men, had become short of money, and gone to the home of Davies. No-one was home, Downes had said, and the two men with him went inside and stole the property. They went to the convenience at the Christchurch railway station, got into an argument, and the two men left, leaving Downes with the stolen property. “It does seem that these two men were conjured up by Downes,” said Detective-Sergeani. Urquhart. The stolen property was sold around the city, but was recov-

ered by the police. Wilson said he met Downes on August 7. Wilson admitted he wrote the cheques and Downes cashed them. While they were in Wellington, the ; two men called at Ivans Ltd., furriers, of Cuba street. They presented . a worthless cheque for £3O 10s and ■ obtained two frocks and £23 in . change. [ The Magistrate remanded both ac- . cused for sentence on September 5. , Bail of £lOO and one surety of £lOO j was fixed for both. > PROBATION FOR THEFT. Joyce Patricia Meaclem, a waitress, aged 19 (Mr H. W. Thomson), was admitted to probation for two years t on each of three charges of theft. She ? was convicted, when she appeared 5 for sentence yesterday, of stealing i clothing worth £5 5s and a locket r valued at £3.