Magistrate’s Court ROBBERY ON RAILWAY OVERBRIDGE ALLEGED

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29383, 9 December 1960, Page 9

Magistrate’s Court ROBBERY ON RAILWAY OVERBRIDGE ALLEGED

Evidence that shortly after he had passed three youths on the railway footbridge near Madras street at 12.30 a.m. on November 13 he was attacked from behind, knocked down, and robbed of papers, a bottle of whisky, and £2 10s in money, was given by Thomas Arthur Atkinson in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Martin Joseph Hickey <Mr B. J- Drake) and Garry Toko Te Pairi, aged 20, a workman (Mr G. S. Brockett), were appearing before Mr E. A. Lee, S.M., on a charge of robbing Atkinson of money and articles valued at £3 10s. They pleaded not guilty. The case was adjourned to this morning, after four police witnesses had been heard, so that property sheets listing the possessions found on the' accused Te Pairi after his arrest could be produced. Hickey was remanded in custody and Te Pairi was granted renewed bail.

Atkinson, caretaker at the Hastings racecourse, said he was in Christchurch for Carnival Week and was returning to the People’s Palace from visiting friends in Sydenham when he passed the youth on the footbridge. He had gone another chain when he was struck by a knee or foot in the back and knocked flat on to the bridge deck. While on the bridge he received a kick on the mouth, breaking his teeth, and some person went through his pockets. He did not see the persons responsible.

“After they had been through my pockets and left I got up, spat out my teeth, put them in a handkerchief. and went to the taxi stand for help. There were no taxis about so I went to the People’s Palace and the night watchman rang the police,” said Atkinson. He said he suffered a bruised shoulder and cut mouth in the robbery. To Mr Drake he said he could not give a description of the persons whp attacked him. or how many were involved. ‘‘One had his foot over my mouth while the other apparently searched my pockets.” he said. Detective D. Stewart gave evidence that the two accused were found in Carlyle street, near the footbridge, at 1 a.m. during a patrol of the area. Detective B. J. Preston said that when he interviewed Te Pairi and informed him of the nature of his inquiries Te Pairi had said he and Hickey were responsible for the robbery. In a statement Te Pairi allegedly said they had been to a party and then a dance, and were crossing the bridge when they passed Atkinson. They attacked him and knocked him down. “I bashed him and Hickey also bashed him and held him down and went through his pockets. Then we took off to the south of the railway,” said Te Pairi’s statement. He said he could remember taking paners from the man’s pockets. They had robbed him with the intention of taking whatever they could get. “It was not my idea to rob the man. Hickey suggested that we do this man over and I said I would be in.” Detective Preston said he showed Hickey a copy of the statement Te Pairi had made. Hickey read the statement, and said that was right. CARNAL KNOWLEDGE Clarence Desmond Sunbeam, aged 21, a former Railways Department porter (Mr G. T. Mahon) was fined £5O when he pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl aged 14 years in the Waltham area on October 24. Imposing sentence, the Magistrate said he would accept that the girl had been in the city late at night and had accepted a ride in Sunbeam’s car. “However, girls of that age are absolutely protected agajnst persons like yourself,” he said. On a charge of theft of a pair of shoes valued at £4 8s from the premises of Norton Marshall. Ltd., on July 26, Sunbeam was placed on probation for two years. He pleaded not guilty. An alternative charge of receiving the goods was dismissed. The Magistrate made a condition of his probation that he was not to associate with anyone disapproved of by the probation officer. He warned Sunbeam that he was now eligible for corrective trainingup to three years’ gaol. FALSE PRETENCES On probation after serving a short term of imprisonment for similar offences Gerald Vincent Hood. aged 27, unemployed, pleaded guilty to tyro charges of obtaining money and goods valued at £l7 10s and £22 10s 6d with intent’to defraud, and of attempting to obtain a car valued ait £665 bv false pretences. Hood, who was represented by Mr B. J. Drake, was remanded to December 12 for a probation officer’s report and sentence. On November 25 Hood attempted to obtain a car with a cheque which had been stolen, said Sergeant T. A. Marson. The two other charges related to the obtaining of goods and money from service stations with valueless cheques. Sergeant Marson said. Hood was mot employed because of serious spinal injuries. He was granted bail at £lOO ■with one surety of £lOO.. UNLAWFULLY IN hospital After taking Trevor Brian Heads’s mother to tea at a city hotel tor her birthday on Decemebr 1, Heads and his companion. Brian James Everett, went to a party at the United States base at Harewood and while there had several "almost lethal” cocktails. They had then gone to the Christchurch Hospital to see,, two girls whom they were supposed to have met, said counsel for both men. Mr H. S. Thomas. Heads was appearing on charges of being found unlawfully in the Christchurch Hospital bpilding. and converting a woman’s bicycle valued at £l2. Everett faced charges of "being found unlawfully in the hospital building, converting a woman’s bicycle valued at £l5. and using obscene language. They pleaded guilty to all charges.

Drunken youths causing disturbances in a hospital would not be tolerated, said the Magistrate. He fined each accused £lO for being unlawfully on the premises. £5 each for converting the

bicycles, and fined Everett £5 for using obscene language. CAR CONVERSION AND THEFT For unlawfully converting a car valued at £7SC, the property of Patrick John Long, theft of beer valued at £1 3s from the car. and attempting to steal four gallons of petrol valued at 13s 4d from Robin Palmer at Kaikoura. George John Bryanton, aged 18. a plumber's labourer. was remanded in custody to December 15 for sentence. He pleaded guilty to all charges. Sergeant V. F. Townshend said Long complained to the police that his car had been taken from Bedford row between 7.30 p.m. and 10 20 p m. on November 12. It was found in a damaged condition the next day. Referring to the attempted theft of petrol he said the accused and other youths set out to travel to Blenheim and at Kaikoura police became suspicious of the car’s movements. After tt had been driven into an alleyway, and then driven out with the accused no longer in the car, a search was made. He was found hiding in the alleyway and admitted going into a yard to siphon petrol from a vehicle. IDLE AND DISORDERLY After being found in a railway carriage at Waltham yesterday morning, Cardigan John Charles Petterson, aged 59, unemployed, admitted to police that he had slept in carriages for the last three nights, said Sergeant Marson. He said Petterson, who was in receipt of a Social Security benefit, had been drinking heavily and had not eaten since the previous day. Petterson, who pleaded guilty to a charge of being idle and disorderly in having insufficient lawful means of support, was remanded in custody to December 15. DANGEROUS DOG Catherine Keen, aged 45, a married woman, was fined £5 for owning a dog which attacked a postwoman on October 26. THREW GLASS AT CARS Evidence that when police answering a complaint, went to 448 Worcester street they saw Joan Maria Prendergast throwing broken beer bottles at passing cars was given by a constable. He said Prendergast made off into the premises when she saw the police car. and when overtaken and brought back on to the street she was very arrogant and would not answer questions. Prendergast was fined £lO on the charge of throwing glass, on November 13. GLASS ON STREET “This offence has to be discouraged as a lot of damage can be caused to innocent persons who drive over broken glass, or to children who may injure their feet,” said the Magistrate. He fined Daniel James Morel aged 21, a plumber (Mr W. F. Brown) £5 on a charge of throwing a beer bottle on to the road in Rosebery street on October 6. He pleaded guilty. SHOPBREAKING Three youths who broke into the Riverside store at Kairaki about 2 a.m. on November 13 tripped over some milk bottles as they were leaving with stolen goods in a sack. They.were heard by a camper and he took, the number of their truck, said Sergeant Marson. Wallace Leon Hamilton, aged 17, an apprentice fitter and turner, pleaded guilty to a charge of shopbreaking and theft. He was remanded to December 15 for a probation officer’s report and sentence. Hamilton and two 16-year-old youths attended a party and then went to Kairaki in a truck. Sergeant Marson said. They decided to break into the store and took confectionery and cigarettes which they put in a sack. The owner of the store said that goods valued at £lOl 6s 2d had been stolen but the youths admitted stealing only £6 Os 9d worth which was found in one of their rooms, said Sergeant Marson. The two other youths involved had appeared in another Court. Hamilton, who was represented by Mr M. G. L. Loughnan, was granted bail at £5O with one surety of £5O. SHOPLIFTING A woman, aged 58, whose name was suppressed, pleaded guilty to stealing rubber toys, of a total value of 10s, from Woolworths (New Zealand), Ltd. She was remanded to December 15 for a probation officer’s report and sentence. The woman, who was represented by Mr P. G. S. Penlington, was granted bail at £5O with one surety of £5O. UNLAWFULLY ON PREMISES Found asleep in the washhouse of a vacant house at 33 Horatio street by the police in the early hours of December 8, Frederick Noho Love, a shearer, was sentenced to 14 days’ imprisonment on a charge of being on enclosed premises without lawful excuse. He pleaded guilty. CAST OFFENSIVE MATTEft David Stewart Holland, aged 18, a car washer, was fined £3 on a charge of casting offensive matter. He pleaded guilty. DRUNKENNESS Colin Lindsay Rankin was fined £2, in default three days’ imprisonment, on a charge of being found drunk in Moorhouse avenue on December 7, having been convicted of a similar offence within the previous six months. WATER SQUIRTED INTO CAR When a car overtook another vehicle travelling towards the city along Papanui road at 7.53 p.m. a youth squirted a fire extinguisher through the open window and the water went all over over Colin William White, said Sergeant Townshend. Barrie Houghton, a millhand, pleaded guilty to assaulting White and behaving in a disorderly manner on October 19. He was remanded to December 15 for a probation officer’s report and sentence. The youths tn the car continued on and other pedestrians and cyclists were treated in a like manner, Sergeant Townshend said. The three youths in the car claimed they “were having a bit of fun.” None of them knew Mr White and he had given them no cause to have water squirted at him. Houghton had three previous convictions. OBSCENE EXPOSURE An 18-year-old schoolboy who admitted six charges of obscene exposure in various parts of the

city between July 20 and November 17, was ordered to come up for sentence within 12 months if called upon. The Magistrate acceded to a request by the boy’s counsel (Mr A. D. Holland) for suppression of his name. LICENSING BREACHES For aiding in the commission of a licensing offence by purchasing six bottles of beer from the Gladstone Hotel after hours on October 27, Robin Leonard Hunt, a company representative, was fined £3. Trevor Gordon Gage was fined £2 for being found on the licensed premises of the Shirley Lodge Hotel when under age on October 15. Joseph Brown, aged 33, was •fined £ 3 for being . found on the licensed premises of the Eastern Hotel after hours on October 29. For being found on the licensed premises of the Imperial Hotel after hours on September 23, Kenneth Douglas Blackie, was fined £3. Three youths, Trevor Rex Bruce, Michael Thomas Prior, and Kevin John Dellow, were each fined £3 for being found on the licensed premises of the New Brighton Hotel when under age on October 22. Dellow was also fined £3 for giving false particuLars. THEFT OF RADIO Brian Mark Stevens, aged 20, a Christchurch City Council employee, was remanded to December 15 for sentence on a charge of theft of a transistor portable radio valued at £37 10s between June 1 and 30. He pleaded guilty. Bail was allowed in his own recognisance of £5O, with a similar surety. He was represented by Mr P. G. S. Penlington. MEDICAL EXAMINATION BREACH For failing to report for a medical examination as required under provisions of the National Service Registration Act on October 6, Ike Thaia Putuahi Robin, aged 20,. a welder, was fined £5. REMANDED John Neville Bateman Crawford (Mr M. G. L. Loughnan) was remanded to December 12 on a charge of driving under the influence of drink or drugs on October 26. He was granted bail at £5O with one surety of £5O. e Roy Colin Tucker was remanded in custody to December 12 -on a charge of being a rogue and a vagabond in that lie obtained £4 from a woman on November 16 by falsely representing that he had found her parrot. Kenneth Hillman Lamb was remanded on renewed bail to December 15 on a charge of breach of probation at Auckland on November 5. Andrew John Black was remanded to December 12 on a charge of failing to notify his change of address to a probation officer while on probation. He was granted bail of £lOO in his own recognisance, with a similar surety. (Before Mr A. P. Blair, S.M.) CREDIT BY FRAUD . Opening accounts at T. Armstrong and Company, Ltd., Drayton Jones, Ltd., and a shoe store In Colombo street under a fictitious name, Daniel Chapman Weir, aged 28, a barman, had purchased goods to a total value of £B2 15s 7d, said Senior-Sergeant Weir (Mr G. R. Lascelles), who pleaded guilty to three joint charges with Maria Collins, of obtaining credit by fraud on October 14 and 19, a charge of robbery at Balmoral on October 10, and a charge of breach of probation, was remanded to December 12 for a probation officer’s report and sentence. On the charge of robbery, SeniorSergeant Cleary said that Weir had entered a hut at the Balmoral camp and had asked the occupant of the hut where the showers were. He then pulled him to the ground, took his coat, which was over the man’s shoulders, and drove off in a truck. Mr C. A, Ritchie, a probation officer, said that Weir had last reported at Waimate in July, when he said that he was going to Wellington. He had been placed on probation for one year in October, 1959, after being released from a term of imprisonment. Collins was remanded to December 12 on the joint charges of credit by fraud. She was allowed a renewal of bail. Her counsel, Mr B. J. Drake, said that the charges would be defended. CHARGE DISMISSED Saying that there was no evidence at all of an indecent assault on the morning ,bf the day in question, the Magistrate dismissed a charge against Raymond David Marriott aged 30, a workman, of indecent assault on a seven-year-old girl on November 14. Marriott, who was represented by Mr B. J. Drake, pleaded not guilty. “On the evidence of the doctor there can be no doubt she was indecently assaulted,” said the Magistrate. "However I myself may feel about the charge, I am duty bound to dismiss the informations.” LICENSEE FINED Douglas Alison, licensee of the Gladstone Hotel, was fined £7 on each charge at opening premises for sale after hours and selling liquor after hours on October 27. Alison, who was represented by Mr W. F. Brown, pleaded not guilty to both charges. STRUCK BACK OF TRUCK Travelling along the Main North road at 9.50 a.m. on August 25, a truck loaded with logs and weighing about 10 tons, struck the rear of another truck which was pulling into the side of the road, forcing it on to the footpath. It then swerved violently across the road, said Traffic Officer B. Jones, who was an eye-witness to the accident. “At one stage the truck appeared as if it might be turned over by the Impact,” he said. The driver of the truck, Eric Francis Coote, who did not appear, was fined £5 for failing to stop the vehicle. CHARGE REDUCED A charge of driving at a speed dangerous agafhst Lawrence James Le Compte, aged 17, a glass blower, was reduced to a charge of driving without due care, after the Magistrate had heard submissions from his counsel, Mr G. S. Brockett. Le Compte, who pleaded guilty to