Magistrate’s .Court Charges Of Breaking And Entering Admitted

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28553, 5 April 1958, Page 11

Magistrate’s .Court Charges Of Breaking And Entering Admitted

Two men, aged 36 and 22 years, and a youth aged 17, all of whom were unemployed at the time of the offences, were remanded for a probation officer’s reports and sentence to April 14 when they appeared in the Magistrate’s Court on Thursday. The charges involved breaking and entering and committing theft at Dunedin, unlawful conversion of a van owned by the New Zealand Broadcasting Service, Christchurch and, in respect of the two men, being rogues and vagabonds found in possession of house breaking instruments. The men were Bernard John Pimley. a workman, and Edwin James Williams, a'workman, both of whom were said to have previous convictions for similar offences, and the youth was Keith James Millar, also a workman, who had appeared before the Children’s Court on a previous occasion. Mr L. N. Ritchie was on the Bench. All the offences were committed between March 18 and March 20. when the stolen van was taken to Dunedin and later brought back to Christchurch. Pimley and Williams pleaded guilty to all the charges and Millar pleaded guilty to all but one—that of breaking and entering at Dunedin and committing a crime by giving aid in the commission of the offence. On this charge Millar was remanded to April 10 Pimley and Williams were remanded in custody and Millar was allowed bail of £2OO with one surety of £2OO. PRISON AND BORSTAL Two young men who converted to their own use motor cycles al Christchurch on March 11 and later broke into Blackwells Ltd , Kaiapoi, and removed goods valued at more than £2OO, most of which were thrown by them into the river Cam, were sentenced to Borstal training and six months* imprisonment respectively. They were Murray John Roberts, aged 19 (Mr W. F. Brown) and Peter Gordon Skerton, aged 21 (Mr K. J. McMenamin). Mr Brown submitted that although Roberts had two previous convictions all his “outbursts” could be traced to drink. On the night in question. The two defendants had consumed 12 bottles of beer and a bottle of gin. The offence was more an act of wanton vandalism than a crime committed for gain. Mr McMenamin, for Skerton, said that his previous record was free from blemish and his main trouble was that he had drifted from job to job. The time he had spent in prison during the period of the remand had had a definite sobering effect. Sentencing them, the Magistrate told Roberts that the leniency of probation had been wasted on him. He was far too impulsive and much too inclined to get drunk. To Skerton, he said that he was unable to send him to Borstal but such a sentence would probably do good The offences were serious and probation was not recommended. Skerton was ordered to make restitution of £172 19s. his share of the damages . THEFT FROM MILK BOTTLES John Alexander McDonald, aged 20, appeared for sentence on a charge of having stolen the sum of 3s 9|d in money from milk bottles at Christchurch on March 14. He was convicted and released on probation for a further two years. The conditions of his probation include that he resides with his parents and does not leave without the prior consent of the Probation Officer, and takes such employment as the Probation Officer directs and does not without the prior consent of the Probation Officer. UNLAWFUL CONVERSION The offence usually merited imprisonment but he proposed to give the defendant a chance, said the Magistrate wljen he released on probation for two years Anthony Francis commons, aged 19 (Mr R. Twyneham) who ap-

peared on a charge of unlawful conversion of a motor-cycle. • Mr Twyneham submitted that the defendant was iipbued with a passion for motor-cycles and was not of the hooligan type. He was a first class diligent workman, and now realised that he was at the crossroads and that the decent way of the ordinary citizen was the only way. Restitution of £5 within one month was ordered. SEVEN DAYS’ GOAL " Rexina Mervyn Phillips, aged 30, was sentenced to seven days imprisonment on a charge of the theft of goods valued at 16s 6d. The Magistrate said that although the defendant was intoxicated at the time the offence was committed, that was no excuse. He was at present in prison because of default in payment of fines imposed for previous offences and gaol was the only penalty he could impose on this occasion. BAIL REFUSED Bail was refused Lionel Christopher Jones, aged 27, a clerk, who after being extradited from Fiji, appeared on a charge of stealing £5O from his employers, the New Zealand Farmers’ Co-operative Association of Canterbury, Ltd., on or about September 17, 1957. He was remanded to April 10. From the dock the defendant made an application for bail. Senior Detective J. B. McLean said the police opposed bail. Other charges were pending. Refusing defendant’s application, the Magistrate said that he had already put the country to an enormous amount of expense. TWO YEARS’ PROBATION Four young men, whose ages ranged from 17 to 19 years, and whose names were ordered not to be published, were admitted to probation for a period of two years on charges of unlawfully converting a motor car and the theft of goods valued at £7l 12s 6d. BORSTAL TRAINING Two youths, David John Forrester and Earl Franklin McIvor, both aged 18, were jointly charged with having unlawfully converted a motor-car at Dunedin, on March 10, unlawfully converted a motor-car at Blenheim, on March 11, and breaking and entering a counting house at Burnham, on March 11. Forrester was also charged with the theft of a travelling rug valued at £1 10s at Howard’s Junction, on March 12. Both youths were convicted and sentenced to one month’s imprisonment. THEFT OF STOCKINGS Francis Lewis Gibson, aged 51, was charged with the theft of a pair of nylon stockings on March' 24, at Christchurch. He was convicted and sentenced to one month’s imprisonment. REMANDED Trevor Harry King, aged 17, was remanded to appear before the Court on April 14 on a charge of having stolen goods valued at 35s on March 26. at Christchurch. Bail was renewed. To three charges of having obtained goods and money to a total value of £3O on March 24 and 25, at Christchurch, Peter Chermenis, aged 17, pleaded guilty and was remanded to appear before the Court on Aprtl 14. Bail was allowed at the sum of £5O In his own recognisance and with one surety of £5O, on condition that he reports daily to the police. BAIL RENEWED Michael Max Smith, a youth, charged with having converted a motor-cycle on March 29, al Christchurch, was remanded to appear before the Court on April 14. Bail was renewed. (Before Mr F. F. Reid, S.M.) FINED FOR ASSAULT Vernon Lawson Watts, charged with having committed assault on March 1, 1958, at Christ&iurch, wu convicted and fined £lO.