MAGISTRATE’S COURT MAN ADMITS THROWING SHIP’S VALVE OVERBOARD

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28154, 18 December 1956, Page 3

MAGISTRATE’S COURT MAN ADMITS THROWING SHIP’S VALVE OVERBOARD

Maurice Charles Solomon, aged 32, pleaded not guilty in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr L. N. Ritchie, S.M., to a charge that on December 2, 1955, he stole a ship’s valve, valued at £5O, the property of the Northern Steamship Company. The case was stood down, and later SubInspector J. J. Halcrow was given leave to withdraw the theft charge and substitute one of wilful damage. Solomon pleaded guiltv to a charge that on December 2, 1955, at Lyttelton, he wilfully damaged the Northern Steamship Company’s vessel Maunganui, to the value of £5O and thereby committed mischief. He was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence within two years if called upon, a condition being that he makes restitution to the Northern Steamship Company of a sum not exceeding £5O as directed by the Probation Officer. Sub-Inspector Halcrow said that the four main valves of the ship’s engines were left on the deck on the evening of December 2. 1955. ready to be taken ashore in the morning for repair. About 10.30 p.m. the chief engineer heard a bump and a splash and went out of a cabin in time to see Solomon walking along the deck. He questioned him and Solomon, then a steward on the ship, said he had tripped. The engineer noticed that a valve was missing and asked Solomon if he had removed it. Solomon denied this, and when the engineer asked him to show his hands he refused to do so and kept them in his pockets. The valve was recovered from the harbour at a cost of £52 0s 9d. These valves were imported from Holland.

Solomon was interviewed at Timaru on December 11. 1V56, and admitted the facts, said Sub-Lnspector Halcrow. He said he had been to a party in Christchurch and when he returned to the ship he tripped over a valve. He picked it up and threw it overboard. He then went to his cabin, packed his belongings, and left the ship. He said it would not have happened if he had not been drinking. SLIPPED HAND FROM HANDCUFF Geoffrey William Fisher, aged 36, a workman, pleaded guilty to a charge that on November 30 he escaped from lawful custody. Sub-Inspector J. J. Halcrow said that Fisher was found guilty at the November sessions of the Supreme Court on a charge of being a rogue and vagabond in that he had gelignite in his custody. On November 30, Mr Justice Adams sentenced him to preventive detention. Fisher was taken to the prisoner’s room in the Supreme Court building and handcuffed to Prisons Officer Adkins. He was taken from the Court in a truck which left for Paparua Prison at 11 a.m. The truck stopped outside the Rex Theatre on Riccarton road, and it had just started off when Fisher slipped his hand from the handcuff, jumped off the truck, and made off along Riccarton road. Officer Adkins jumped off the truck and chased him. Fisher turned into Picton avenue with the officer four yards behind him. He ran into Nelson street and the officer caught him there. Officer Adkins aske him why he had escaped and he said: “A man’s doing 14 years and he’s got to do something.” Mr B. McClelland, who represented Fisher, said that the prisoner was understandably in a distressed state of mind after just having been sentenced to preventive detention. He felt he had not qualified for preventive detention and it was not a proper sentence. Mr McClelland said that the matter of the sentence was at present being considered by the Court of Appeal. It seemed odd that Fisher was able with some ease to slip the handcuff and escape. The circumstances tempted him. The Magistrate said that he would not deal with Fisher until after the decision of the Court of Appeal was known. Fisher was remanded by consent to January 24 for sentence. IMPRISONMENT FOR RESISTING POLICE Angel Ivanoff, aged 23, a freezingworker (Mr N. H. Euchanan), appeared for sentence on six charges, involving three of assault, two of damaging property, and one of resisting a police constable in the lawful execution of his duty. Mr Buchanan said Ivanoff was not of a criminal type but was hot-headed and sensitive. Some of the alleged offences were in the minor class and some allowance should be made for his experiences as a youth. He had been brought up in a hard school.

The Magistrate said accused had had 16 convictions since coming to New Zealand and one of the crimes had been committed during release on probation. He could still make a good citizen but such conduct could not be tolerated in New Zealand.

On the two charges of assault on women accused was convicted and discharged. on the charge of assault on a man he was fined £5; and on two charges of causing wilful damage to property he was ordered to make restitution of £lO and ss. On the charges of resisting the police and using obscene language Ivanoff was sentenced to seven days’ imprisonment on each charge, the sentences to be concurrent. ESCAPE FROM CUSTODY Kenneth Norman Collis, aged 21, a labourer (Mr M. G. L. Loughnan), appeared for sentence on a charge of escaping from lawful custody on November 6 and with wilfully damaging a pipe-guard to the extent of £2 in a cell of the Central Police station.' Sub-inspector J. J. Halcrow said on November 6 accused had been placed in a cell at the Central Police station, and was waiting to be brought to the Magistrate’s Court. He broke a portion of a wooden pipe-guard in the cell. Mr Loughnan said he had no knowledge of the charge of wilful damage but in mitigation of the offence of escaping from lawful custody he said the accused had been at liberty for only 11 hours and during that period no offence had been committed. The escape was made very simple and his client merely took advantage of the opportunity to escape. As so frequently happened Collis was the product of a broken home and lack of parental control had had much to do with his lapses. The Magistrate said although Collis was only 21 he had already had 23 convictions. He had already had terms of Borstal training and he had been released on probation as a last resort. “Unfortunately the days of miracles are past,” said the Magistrate. On the charge of unlawfully escaping from custody Collis was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment to commence at the expiry of the sentence of two years he is at present serving. On the charge of causing damage. Collis was convicted and discharged. BORSTAL TRAINING Denis Nathaniel Conner, aged 17. a shop assistant (Mr C. M. Roper), pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing a wallet valued at £79. the property of Braeman Thomas Anderson, on December 1, and stealing £2O, the property of Wallis Bros. Ltd. Mr Roper said that although members of the accused's family had cooperated up to the present the limit of their endurance had been exhausted.

The Magistrate said Conner had been a thief for some time but it was the first time he had appeared under a police charge. He appeared completely irresponsible and did not even seem to worry about his present predicament. The probation officer suggested that accused might respond to a term

of probation but this would require a rapid change in his demeanour. “You appear to have adopted a slogan of too many youths of today T couldn't care less’.” said the Magistrate after remanding accused to the afternoon. Later in the day Conner appeared again and was sentenced to Borstal training. THEFT OF TABLE George Edward Soley, aged 28, a cabinet-maker (Mr E. J. Somers), was fined £5 for stealing a table the property of Tube Crafts, Ltd. Senior-Detective J. B. McLean said accused had admitted having stolen a table top and base. Mr Somers said accused, who had been employed making tables, had damaged two and he took one away in the hope that some bad workmanship would not be noticed. DISQUALIFIED DRIVER SENT TO GAOL Trevor James Everest, aged 22 (Mr B. J. Drake), appeared for sentence on a charge of driving a motor-car when disqualified.

Mr Drake said a car which accused had purchased was bought and paid for by his younger brother who was only 11 years old and not entitled to purchase a car. He had only driven the car for about 300 yards. The Magistrate said Everest seemed devoid of all sense of stability as his employment at so many jobs indicated. Everest was sentenced to seven days’ imprisonment and he was disqualified from holding a driver’s licence for six months beyond the date of the present disqualification. This means that he will be debarred from applying for a driver’s licence to before October 1, 1958.

For having no warrant of fitness Everest was fined £l. USED OBSCENE LANGUAGE Remus Gordon Lilley, aged 50, a labourer (Mr R. S. D. Twyneham), appeared for sentence on a charge of using obscene language within hearing of persons in Ascot avenue. New Brighton, and two charges of breaches of a prohibition order.

He was remanded for one day for a medical examination and to see whether the Salvation Army authorities will accept him as an inmate of the inebriates’ home at Roto Roa Island.

BREACH OF PROHIBITION ORDER Romulus Walter Lilley, aged 50, who appeared for sentence on a charge of a breach of a prohibition order, was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence within 12 months if called upon. A special condition is that he submits himself to the assistance of Alcoholics Anonymous. FINED FOR ASSAULT Johan Kalkhoven, aged 31, a carpenter, pleaded not guilty to a charge that he assaulted Yvonne Meyers on December 15.

He was convicted and fined £2 Police . evidence was that Kalkhoven had been pestering the complainant, a waitress in a cafe, and had grabbed her by the left arm, leaving a bruise. INDECENT ASSAULT Arthur Clarence Gemmell, aged 36; a Crane driver (Mr J. A. Brethertonl, pleaded guilty to a charge that he indecently assaulted a girl aged 13 He was remanded to December 20 for sentence pending a report by the Probation Officer. He was allowed bail or £5O and one surety of £lOO on condition that he reports daily to the police.

GOT INTO MOTOR-CAR Roger Owen Jones, aged 21, a railways employee (Mr W. F. Tracy), who appeared for sentence on a charge of unlawfully entering a motorcar, was admitted to probation for two. y earSj special conditions being that he does not own, hire or drive any motor-vehicle, that he takes out a prohibition order and keeps it in force for the period of his probation, and that he abstains from intoxicating liquor. THEFT AS A SERVANT A man, whose name was ordered not to be published and who was represented by Mr H. S. Thomas, appeared for sentence on a charge of theft as a servant. He was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence within two years if called upon.

REMANDED On the application of Mr J. A. Bretherton, John William Carter, aged 25, a mine-worker, was remanded to Thursday on a charge of escaping from lawful custody on November 6. Deryck Burgess, aged 28. a carpenter. James Alexander Campbell, aged 21, a lorry-driver, and Norman William Bradley, aged 19, a lorrydriver, were jointly charged with breaking and entering the Army Department Clothing Stores at Burnham on October 20.

Burgess and Frederick Hardman, aged 28, a plumber, were jointly charged with stealing tyres, tubes and rims, valued at £l7l 4s, at Burnham, on September 5, and Burgess and Campbell with stealing tyres, tubes and wheels valued at £32, the property of Machinery Exchange, Ltd.. between July 20 and 23.

Mr B. McClelland appeared for Burgess and Mr B. J. Drake for Campbell, Hardman and Bradley. Each accused was remanded to January 24, bail being renewed.

Thomas Sydney Brown, aged 35. a painter, was remanded to January 3 on a charge of breaking and entering the dwelling-house of Herbert Clarence Lorraine Browning and committing theft.

John Leadbeater, aged 61, was remanded to December 20 on a charge of stealing an overcoat and scarf valued at £lO 10s, the property of George Henry Colville, on December 15.

Bail was allowed in the sum of £5O and one surety of £5O.

William Wallace Oliver, aged 43. a fish merchant (Mr C. M. Roper), was remanded by consent to January 21. on a charge that on December 14 while under the influence of drink, he drove a motor-van in Market street. Leeston. He was allowed bail of £25 and one surety of £25.

Henry Charles Barnett, aged 39. a metal polisher (Mr W. F. Brown), was further remanded on renewed bail to December 20 on a charge of stealing a wallet and £lOO. Alfred Max Walter Wartman, aged 49 (Mr G. S. Brockett), was further remanded by consent on renewed bail to January 24 on a charge of stealing a camera valued at £35.