Magistrate’s Court Youth Admits Charges Of Car Conversion, Theft

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28490, 21 January 1958, Page 6

Magistrate’s Court Youth Admits Charges Of Car Conversion, Theft

lan Francis Garrick, aged 18, a truck driver, pleaded guilty in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday when charged with unlawfully converting to his own use a motor-car valued at £5OO, the property of William Bulman, on December 10, and with driving without due care and attention on the Governor’s Bay road on the same date. He also pleaded guilty, to stealing a motor-car valued al £475, the property of Durham Nowell Hunter, to stealing rugs and trousers valued at £7, the property of William George Woodcock, and soft drinks and a carton of apples of a total value of £3 19s 6d, the property of Raeburn Thackwell, on December 11.

Mr Rex C. Abernethy was on the Bench. Senior DetectiveSergeant J. B. McLean prosecuted. Accused was not represented by counsel. ’

Mr McLean said that at 8 p.m. on December 10, William Bulman had parked his car in Cambridge terrace and found that it was missing at 10 p.m. It was later reported that a motor-car had struck a power pole on the Governor’s Bay road. Accused, who had been driving the car, had been injured and was taken to a house nearby at which he received first aid treatment and from which he departed a bit later. On December 13, the Invercargill police found Garrick at a friend’s place hiding behind a door. He was then arrested and when interviewed by detectives he admitted having taken the apples and soft drinks from the back of a shop in Christchurch. He also admitted taking a motorcar, the property of Hunter, which he had first driven to Rakaia and then to Methven where he had purchased a pot of black paint. He then returned to the Rakaia river bed and pointed the car and later returned to Christchurch and picked up the apples. Garrick, who had been a boarder at Woodcock’s place, had left taking with him two rugs and a pair of trousers. Accused had stated that when he was driving Bulman *s car to Governor’s Bay, another car had “taken him on” and while he did not remember the accident, it must have been him. He had been knocked unconscious. Accused was remanded to January 27 for a Probation Officer’s report and sentence. PRISON FOR STEALING FOWLS For the theft of four fowls, valued at £4 16s, the property of Frederick Rumble, Reginald Mori, aged 45, a baker (Mr P. G. S. Penlington), was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment. Mr Penlington said Mori had been involved in trouble for the last 25 years but all of his offences were of a comparatively minor nature. He now realised how wrong and stupid he had been. His background in life did not help him. The Magistrate, imposing sentence, said Mori had had seven previous convictions for theft. The public must be protected and Mori, for his own sake, must be given a lesson. ADMITTED TO PROBATION

Louis Albert Upton, aged 52 (Mr R. B. Shand), who appearad for sentence on a charge of stealing a radio, valued at £8 10s, the property of Winsome Loose, was admitted to probation for a period of two years, was ordered to undergo a term of psychiatric treatment and to make restitution of the sum of £2. Mr Shand said his client had amassed a long list of convictions since 1934 but there was a long gap between 1940 and 1953 during which time he had not been in trouble of a serious nature. It was obvious from the* Probation Officer’s report that Upton was a good worker with an unhappy home-life. He was more of a public nuisance than a hardened criminal. INTOXICATED DRIVER GAOLED William John Salt, aged >2, a slaughterman, pleaded guilty to a charge of driving a motor-car in Clyde road on December 21 when under the influence of liquor and to a charge of having no warrant of fitness for his motor-car. Salt was sentenced to seven days in prison and his driver’s licence was cancelled for 18 months. Inspector C. H. Reardon said defendant had collided with another car in Matai street, Riccarton, but no-one in either car was injured. Salt had later driven from the place of the collision, but after inquiries had been made by traffic officers in another accident in which Salt had been involved he wai taken to the

Central Police Station where he was certified by Dr. F. L. Scott as not fit to drive.

Mr G. D. Holland, who appeared for Salt, said that after the first accident Salt had unwisely driven his car, not knowing the damage that had been done to his steering gear, which had let him down so that he had no control over his car. There was no suggestion of hit-and-run driving and had it not been so close to the festive season his client, who had become very tired because of the amount of overtime worked, might well have gone home earlier. For not having a warrant of fitness Salt was convicted and discharged. DEPORTATION ORDER QUASHED A former seaman for whom a deportation order had been issued after he had deserted from an overseas ship was released on the terms of his original bail. He was Septimus Skates, aged 24, an electrician. Mr J. Wilson, for Skates, told the Court that the Minister of Justice had granted a remission of the deportation order under the new amendment to the act. THEFT OF WALLET Pleading guilty to stealing a wallet and its contents, valued at £27 10s, from Leonard William James, Robert John Bailey, aged 24, a driver, was remanded on bail for a week for a probation officer’s report. When James noticed his wallet was missing he suspected the accused as he knew Bailey had been short of money at the races that day, said Senior DetectiveSergeant J. B. McLean. Interviewed by detectives Bailey had admitted the theft. Accused said he was drunk at the time and had been short of money as he had been off work for several months with a spinal injury. ONE MONTH’S GAOL For what the Magistrate described as persistent and petty thefts of money from milk bottles Trevor Alexander Anderson, aged 33, a workman, was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment. Anderson was also ordered to make restitution of the £1 13s stolen by him. ‘‘You are a fit and strong man and there is no reason why you should not settle down and work instead of drifting around the country,” the Magistrate told him. REMANDED James Robert Ashworth, aged 48, a dental mechanic (Mr P. G. S. Penlington), was remanded to January 27 on a charge of driving a motor-car in Fitzgerald avenue on January 12 when under the influence of drink or drugs. Bail was allowed in the sum of £25 and one surety of £25. On a charge of being in charge of a motor-car in Manchester street on January 19 while under the influence of drink, Robert Victor Aitken, aged 23, was remanded to January 27. Bail was allowed at £25 in his own recognisance.

Arthur Robert Cook, aged 49, a herd tester, was remanded for a week on three charges of indecent assault on a male. He pleaded guilty to all the charges. The offences were alleged to have been committed against youths aged 14 and 16 years. Senior Detective-Sergeant. J. B. McLean said that the offences occurred when Cook visited a farm to test Ihe cattle. The complainants were brothers and lived at the farm. The accused had adfrritted the offences and had told detectives he had been assaulted in a similar way when he was a child in England. Cook was remanded for a probation officer’s report. (Before Mr E. A. Lee, S.M.) OBSCENE EXPOSURE A fine of £lO was imposed on John Edward Burt, aged 34, a railway worker, who was convicted on a charge of wilful obscene exposure in a public place on January 5. Burt, who had pleaded not guilty, was represented by Mr J. G. Rutherford.

R.S.A. Membership.— A membership of 8305 at the end of 1957 showed an increase of 21 compared with the previous year, it was reported at the executive meeting of the Christchurch Returned Services* Association last evening. Six Army, two Air Force, and three Navy new members of the association were approved by executive.