Magistrate’s Court Ship’s Officers On Motor- Cycle Conversion Charge

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28532, 11 March 1958, Page 8

Magistrate’s Court Ship’s Officers On MotorCycle Conversion Charge

Two officers of the Shaw Savilll and Albion cargo liner Coptic were charged in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday with converting a motor-cycle from Lyttelton last Saturday. As a result of an accident with the vehicle only one man, the driver, was able to appear in Court. He was Kenneth George Reed, aged 22, who pleaded guilty to taking the motor-cycle, valued at £7O, the property of Francis Small. The other man, the pillion passenger, was Norman Alan Henderson, aged 23. The police said Henderson was in custody in hospital, severly injured. Sergeant E. S. Tuck told the Court that at 11.40 p.m. on Saturday the two accused went ashore from the Coptic and decided to go for a ride on Small’s motor-cycle, which they found parked in Dublin street. After coasting the vehicle downhill they got it started and rode off. At a sharp bend on the Sumner road there was a collision with a motor-car. Both men had been drinking. Damage to the motorcycle was estimated at £5O, to the motor-car £4O, and restitution was asked of those amounts. The Magistrate (Mr L. N. Ritchie, S.M.) stood the case down till afternoon after learning that the Coptic was due to sail from Lyttelton last evening and that Reed, who was second refrigerating engineer of the ship, was required on board urgently. “I hope you fully realise the disgrace you have brought on yourself and the company. You are an officer and your conduct was deplorable,” said the Magistrate, convicting accused when he appeared for sentence in the afternoon. Reed was fined £5 and ordered to make £45 restitution. The Magistrate granted an application for immediate execution of the order.

Henderson, an electrician in the ship, was remanded in custody to March 14.

THEFTS FROM BREWERY J Harold Maurice James Smither, : a 40-year-old unemployed filter and turner, pleaded guilty to 10 i charges of theft and was re- I manded to appear on March 14. ( On the application of his coun- j sei, Mr R. G. Penlington, bail ; was granted. i A series of systematic thefts , from Ballins Breweries, Ltd., be- j tween October 29, 1957, and February 14 this year, was outlined by Sergeant E. S. Tuck in summarising the police case against 1 Smither. The accused had been seen ; climbing a 7ft corrugated iVon fence from Carlyle street into the yard of the brewery, said Sergeant Tuck. He picked up two crates of empty soda siphon bottles, and walked away between the rows of stacked empty crates. 1 A few moments later he appeared at the yardman’s office and ob- 1 tained the refund of deposit normally payable for the return of the empties—3s for the crate and 10s each for the siphons. A search of the company’s records revealed a total of eight offences by the accused. Altogether £3B 4s had been paid out to him over the period. Smither also pleaded guilty to the theft of a portable radio, valued at £lO 10s, from a waitress’s room in the staff quarters of the New City Hotel. The Magistrate said he was reluctant to grant bail to the accused, whom Sergeant Tuck described as “certainly well known,” but allowed it in the sum of £2OO. with one surety of £2OO, on condition that he reports daily to the police. SHOPLIFTING Barry Edward Roberts, aged 20. pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing three electric light fittings valued at 3s 9d, the property of Woolworths Ltd., at Christchurch on March 10. He was convicted and fined £lO. INDECENT ASSAULT Eric Pickett, aged 31 (Mr H. W. Hunter), appeared for sentence on two charges of indecent assault on a female at Christchurch on January 17. “I propose to give you a chance,” said’ the Magistrate when he convicted accused and fined him £7 on each charge. THEFT OF MONEY lan Clyde Pooley, aged 24, an Australian, was charged that between December 24, 1957, and January 3, 1958. at Wellington he stole £ll 15s 4d, the property of Charles Mark Brake. He pleaded i guilty and was remanded for sentence on March 14. The Magistrate called for a report from the Probation Officer. Bail was fixed at £25 in i accused’s own recognisance with i one surety of £25. BREAKING AND ENTERING ALLEGED : Douglas Baxter Fabian, aged 22, was charged that on March 9 at [ Christchurch he broke and entered ; the counting-house of the Midway 5 Service Station, North road, with > intent to commit an offence. He - was remanded to March 17. Sergeant E. S. Tuck, who repre-

sented the police, said he had been instructed to oppose any application for bail. “There are some matters which your Worship may consider,” he said. The Magistrate, to accused: I do not want to pre-judge your case but if you are in fact guilty of this offence I cannot let you free to roam around, the country to do it again. Ido not propose to allow you bail, I am sorry. INTOXICATED DRIVING John Joseph Farrell, a train examiner, was convicted and sentenced to seven days’ imprisonment when he appeared for sentence on a charge of driving a motor vehicle at Kaikoura, on February 20, while under the influence of drink or drugs. His driver’s licence was cancelled and he was disqualified from obtaining another for 18 months, and his licence will bear endorse ment for three years. REMANDED Daniel John Dooling, aged 31. a salesman, was charged that on March 8 at Christchurch, he was in charge of a motor vehicle while under the influence ol drink or drug. He was remanded to appear on March 17. Bail was renewed at £25. with one surety of £25. Mervyn Gilray Shaw was charged that between Decembei 1, 1957, and March 4, 1958, at Dunedin he stole £5, the property of Doris Mary Nair. On the application of the police he was remanded to March 17. Bail was renewed in the sum of £5O in accused’s own recognisance and two sureties of £5O each. He was ordered to report daily to the police. Daniel John Cooper, aged 21. was charged that on February 28. at Christchurch, he stole a cheque valued at £29 12s. On the application of Sergeant E. S. Tuck he was remanded to March , 17.

A 17-year-old Hungarian Gabor Csutak, was charged with the theft of £4 10s in money al Christchurch on March 3. He was remanded to March 17. Bail was fixed at £5O in accused’s own recognisance with one surety oi £5O and he was required to report daily to the police. NAME SUPPRESSED “You are a disgrace to your old school,” the Magistrate told a 17-year-old girl who appeared for sentence for stealing a sewing machine valued at £57, at Dunedin, on February 14. The girl was placed on probation for two years, on condition that, within a year, she make restitution of £25; and that she undergo medical treatment as prescribed for her. Suppression of her name was granted, on the application of Mr W. G. P. Cuningham.