MAGISTRATE’S COURT Men Threw Away Clocks And Watches When Chased By Police

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27824, 24 November 1955, Page 6

MAGISTRATE’S COURT Men Threw Away Clocks And Watches When Chased By Police

The sight of three men on one motor-cycle in Riccarton avenue at 2 a.m. on November 16, aroused the interest of Detective J. S. Ashby. This resulted in two of the men running across Hagley Park, discarding clocks and watches as they ran, and led to the appearance of two of the three in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, where they admitted breaking into a jeweller’s shop in Rangiora. The third man is known to the police but he has not yet been found. The two men were Arthur James Broad, aged 21, a salesman, and Peter Murphy Diston, aged 28, a labourer. They pleaded guilty to joint charges that on the night of November 15-16, they broke and entered the shop of Lanes Jewellers, Rangiora, and committed theft, and that they unlawfully converted a motor-car, valued at £225, the property of Raymond Charles Boswell.

Mr Rex C. Abernethy, S.M.. remanded them to November 30 for a Probation Officer’s report and for sentence.

Mr G. S. Brockett, on behalf of u r P anc * Mr B. S. McLaughlin, on behalf of Diston, applied for bail but the applications were refused. “At 2 a.m. on November 16, Detective Ashby, in : a police patrol car, went to intercept three men riding on one motor-cycle in Riccarton avenue, Detective-Sergeant E. G. ward told the Court “The motorcycle made off at high speed but was stopped when it was overtaken by the patrol car. The two men on the back jumped off and ran into Hagley Park, throwing away clocks and watches as they ran. Detective Ashby chased them but could not catch them. The third man, the accused Broad, tried to ride away on the motor-cycle, but he was apprehended by Constable Laverack, the driver of the patrol car. “Some of the clocks and watches thrown away by Broad’s companions nad labels and name tags on them,’ 1 said Detective-Sergeant Ward. “It was found that they had beefn stolen from Lane’s jewellery shop in Rangiora which had been broken into a few hours earlier. Watches, clocks, and jewellery, valued at about £55 10s, had been stolen from the workshop. Diston was located later in the mornihg and he admitted that he and two other men converted a motor-car from Papanui and' drove it to Rangiora where they broke into Lane’s shop. Diston said he stayed on the roof while his two companions entered the shop through a skylight and passed clocks and watches out to him. Broad was interviewed by Acting-Detective W. J. Bracks and admitted breaking and entering Lane’s shop in company with Diston and; another man. This third man is known to the police but he has not been found.

All the stolen property, except three watch movements, was found in Hagley Park by the police, said Detective-Sergeant Ward. “It will cost Lane £37 10s to replace the three watches from which the movements are missing. They were under repair at the time they were stolen. The car was taken from the Firestone factory at Papanui, driven to Rangiora, then back to Christchurch and abandoned near the Carlton Mill bridge. It was not damaged but an overcoat

valued at about £2O is missing from it. Broad and Diston deny taking the coat. “Broad is single and is at present on probation. Diston is married and has been working in a wool store. He has a number of previous convictions, said Detective-Sergeant Ward. INDECENT ASSAULT A man, whose name was ordered not to be published meantime and who was represented by Mr R. B. Shand, pleaded guilty to a charge of indecently assaulting dh eight-year-old girl. He was remanded to November 30 for sentence pending a report by the Probation Officer. He was allowed nail of £5O and one surety of £5O on condition that he reports daily to the police. BANKRUPTCY BREACHES Clarence Arthur Adams, a plumber (Mr B. J. Drake), appeared for sentence on five charges under the Bankruptcy Act but the Magistrate adjourned the charges to Monday, November 28. He said he wanted a full statement of the facts from the Crown Prosecutor before he dealt with Adams. Mr Drake said that one thing very favourable to Adams was not mentioned in the Probation Officer’s report. That was that over a period of a year Adams had paid £5OO to a fund for his creditors, as mentioned by Mr P. T. Mahon who appeared for the Official Assignee at the previous hearing. BUILDER FINED £l5 Terence Ivan Murdoch, a builder, for whom Mr P. T. Mahon appeared and entered a plea of guilty, was fined £l5 for erecting a building when he did not have a permit. Mr W. R. Lascelles, for the Christchurch City Council, said that Murdoch built a storage shed 33ft by 21ft on his property in Brookside terrace without obtaining a permit. In February, 1953, Murdoch applied to the Waimairi County Council for a building permit for a garage and an open shed and it was granted. After the area was amalgamated with the city, residents complained about building going on in the yard and were anxious to stop it. The City Council refused Murdoch a permit for a builder’s garage and store. He later asked the council to reconsider its decision but he was again refused a permit. A third application for a permit was refused. A council inspector found that a building, of the type for which a permit had been resfused three times, had been erected. There were now four buildings on the property. The council was concerned to stop the piecemeal infiltration of these business buildings in residential areas. Mr Mahon, said that the building was of the same dimensions as the one for which Murdfoch got a permit from the Waimairi County Council. It was not a substantial building and cost less than £9O. “I did not know that any building could cost Jess than £90,” said the Magistrate. Mr Mahon, said it was not the case of a .man who put up a building without applying for a permit. Murdoch had a permit from the county council and would have been able to erect the shed but for the amalgamation of the area with the city. The buildings on the property were temporary structures and could be removed if necessary. Mr Lascelles, in reply to the Magistrate, said that the maximum penalty was £5O. “Well, it won’t be £5O this morning but it will be one that may remind people that they must get authority before they erect buildings,” said the Magistrate. ‘The defendant may disagree with the council but they have a job to do and a responsibility to the public at large. Their decision must stand. Counsel, has said that it is not a case of a man erecting a building without even applying for a permit. It is much worse than that. The defendant applied three times and was refused each time. To remind the defendant that he must not take such a stand, I will have to inflict a fairly substantial fine.” (Before Mr S. F. Marshall, J.P., and Mr Turner Smith, J.P.) COMMITTED FOR TRIAL Alan Gerald Smith, aged 22, a bricklayer (Mr B. S. McLaughlin), pleaded not guilty to a charge of obscene exposure in Curletts road on October 7. He was'committed to the Supreme Court for trial and allowed bail of £5O and one surety of £5O on condition that he reports to the police twice a week. TUESDAY CIVIL CASE (Before Mr Rex C. Abernethy, SM.) Adams, Ltd., (Mr R. G. Penlington), claimed £45 18s Id from Vernon Clemens (Mr R. S. D. Twyneham) for repairs to his car. The claim was defended and, after hearing evidence, the Magistrate entered judgment for Adams, Ltd., for £3B 18s Id.