Magistrate’s Court YOUTHS GAOLED FOR ASSAULT ON POLICE

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29272, 2 August 1960, Page 18

Magistrate’s Court YOUTHS GAOLED FOR ASSAULT ON POLICE

“Both of you will realise perfectly well that to assault a policeman in the execution of his duty is a serious offence, and must always be followed by imprisonment,” said Mr A. P. Blair, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday when Norris Kenneth Edmund Darney, aged 19 (Mr J. Burn), and Laurence William Ayers, aged 20 (Mr R. G. Blunt), appeared for sentence on joint charges of assaulting Detective G. Riach and unlawful conversion of a motor-cycle on July 9. Darney also faced a charge of assaulting Constable K. M. Gallagher. On the charges of assault each accused was gaoled for three months, and they were sentenced to imprisonment for one month, to be served concurrently, on the unlawful conversion charge. Both were convicted on July 21 on the charges, which arose from an incident in an alleyway off Ferry road during their questioning by Detective Riach about the ownership of the motorcycle, which they were sefen riding. Mr Burn submitted that Darney could not be blamed very

seriously for the offence. He had made an effort to improve himself and was willing to serve whatever sentence was imposed, and with the help of others to settle down as a law-abiding citizen.

Darney had had an appalling childhood, he submitted, being pushed around from home to home. He conducted himself well in the country but in the town got into bad company. “He had just arrived in Christchurch and got a job when he met Ayers at a wild party during which the motor-cycle was taken. He does not usually get into bad company,” Mr Burn said. Mr Blunt submitted that the incident was a drunken escapade, the unfortunate result of which had not been envisaged by the two accused when they took the motor-cycle. Ayers did not join in the fight until well after it had started, and only joined in then to help Darney. The Magistrate told Darney he would spend a good deal of his time in gaol if he continued as he had in the past. Although his record was bad he had the ability to overcome the trouble he had been getting into, and if prepared to pull himself out of it and accept the help of others he could become a good citizen. EIGHT MONTHS’ GAOL Thomas Harvey Grenfell, aged 34, who the Magistrate said was liable for preventive detention and “had better remember this when he comes out of prison,” was gaoled for eight months when he appeared for sentence on a charge of obtaining credit of £32 10s by fraud from Riccarton Electrical Supplies, Ltd. On a further charge of theft of £ll he was imprisoned for three months, to be served concurrently. Since his release from gaol in September, 1958, the accused had made a determined effort to go straight, said his counsel, Mr B. J. Drake. The offences were entirely due to his drinking too heavily and he had since made up his mind to drop this habit altogether. INDECENT ASSAULT In the belief that Clarence Joseph Griffith, aged 37, a company director, could “get over his difficulty,” the Magistrate gave the accused a further chance. Griffith was fined £ 10 on each of two charges of indecent assault on a boy aged 13, and was placed on probation for two years. The accused, who was an intelligent man, would realise perfectly well that unless he could control his weakness in the future he would have to be locked up to prevent further trouble and protect society, the Magistrate said. Mr W. F. Brown, for the accused, said he had led a blameless life, and at the time of his offences had business worries and other tensions. The offences were mild ones of their kind, he said. (Before Mr E. A. Lee, S.M.) GAOLED FOR SHOPBREAKING Terrence Desmond Bradshaw, aged 26, was sent to gaol for nine months when he appeared for sentence on a charge of shopbreaking and theft at Christchurch on July 16. An order was also made for the return of the stolen property. Mr J. N. Matson, for Bradshaw, asked the Magistrate to consider imposing another term of probation, and a prohibition order. Bradshaw had a number of convictions for dishonesty, but drink appeared to be at the back of those and the present offence. The Magistrate said he was unable to accede*to Mr Matson’s request. Bradshaw was an adult and he should have known better. He was also on probation for another offence when the offence was committed. SHOPBREAKING AND THEFT Ronald Reginald Tuni Chick, aged 33, was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment on a charge of shopbreaking and theft at Christchurch on July 16. Counsel for Chick (Mr R. H. Ludbrook) said Chick had been employed as a freezing worker for 10 years and it had been 10 years since his last offence. Mr Ludbrook submitted that Chick had been under the influence of drink when he committed the offence. The Magistrate said he considered Chick was not so under the inueflnce of drink that he could not realise the seriousness of the offence he was committing. “BACK TO GAOL” Three days - after his release from prison after serving a term for theft, Daniel Farrington, aged 51, stole a shearing machine handpiece, valued at £l2, the property of George Steel, at Port Levy on July 11. “Back you go to gaol for another month,” said the Magis-

trate when Farrington appeared for sentence on a charge of theft. “You have had 30 convictions for offences involving theft and being idle and disorderly. The doctor’s report states that you are of good physique and are normal mentally. When you committed this theft you were under contract to work for the complainant. You stayed on the property for the week-end and then stole the handpiece and left.” Although Farrington had been involved in criminal conduct of a minor nature since he was 25, the maximum term of imprisonment he had received during that time was three months, said Mr C. J. O’H. Tobin. This indicated that the offences were not very serious. Offences for dishonesty appeared frequently on Farrington’s list of convictions but they all arose out of his fondness of alcohol, Mr Tobin said. The present offence was stupid and of a minor nature and arose from the same problem. His only motive was to obtain money to get more alcohol. “A FAIR COP” When on car patrol in Blenheim road ait 10.30 p.m. on July 24, .Constables Miles and A. E. Dally saw telephone wire in the back boot of a car which came from a Post and Telegraph Department yard. “It’s a fair cop,” said the driver after the car was stopped, Sergeant T. A. Marson said. Leonard Albert Clydesdale, aged 34, a linesman employed by a local authority, and Jack Amur! Thomas, aged 35, a taxi driver, pleaded guilty to a joint charge of stealing telephone wire, valued at £29, the property of the Post and Telegraph Depart- , ment. They were both represented by Mr R. G. Blunt. The two accused were remanded to August 8 for proba- • tion officers’ reports and sen- , tence. The car stopped by the police ■ was driven by Thomas and he ; admitted stealing the wire a few minutes earlier, Sergeant Marson i said. Clydesdale was also in the 1 car and admitted being involved. Thomas said that he did not know the wire belonged to the Post and Telegraph Department. ' There was 29ft of copper wire which contained 1800 telephone cables. Both had previous convictions but not for dishonesty. The accused were granted bail at £lOO with one surety of £lOO and were ordered to report daily to the police. OBSCENE LANGUAGE When he disagreed with his companion, who wanted to go into a cafe in Manchester street at 11.50 p.m. on Saturday, a youth used an obscene expression which was overheard by a constable, said Sergeant T. A. Marson. Eion Gordon Douglas, aged 19. a quarryman, who said he had had a few drinks and did not want to offend anyone, was fined £5 for using obscene language. Douglas was slightly under the influence of liquor at the time. Sergeant Marson said. He had no previous convictions. SUSPENDED SENTENCE “This is your first appearance in Court and you had better make sure it’s your last. Get a job and stay in it Arrangements have been made to send you back to Dunedin,” said the Magistrate to Arthur Colin McLean, aged 40, a labourer, who appeared for sentence on a charge of being idle and disorderly. He was ordered to come up for sentence within six months, if called upon. REMANDED Peter Thomas Gray, aged 20 (Mr H. S. Thomas) was remanded to August 22 on a charge of being intoxicated in charge of a motorcycle in Madras street on July 30. Bail was granted at £lOO. Errol Bertram Price, aged 20, was remanded to August 8 on a charge of driving under the inuflence of drink or drugs on Creyke road on July 15. He was represented by Mr R. H. Ludbrook. Bail was renewed. Jointly charged with. unlawfully taking a motor car valued at £550 at Prebbleton on the evening of July 23, a man and youth whose names were suppressed, were remanded to August 5 for a probation officer's report. They pleaded guilty. Mr I. E. White appeared for one accused, and Mr J. N. Matson for the other. Sergeant Marson said the owner of the car, Albert James Thompson, was visiting a friend at Springs road, Prebbleton, when the car was taken from the driveway of the friend’s home. Police later found the car abandoned in Shands road about a mile from. Canterbury Agricultural College, Lincoln, and about six miles from Springs road. The youths later told police they had been visiting at Prebbleton and were unable to get back to Lincoln where they were staying. The youths were allowed ball of £5O each and were ordered to report daily to the Lincoln police.