Magistrate’s Court Committed Seven Offences After Release From Gaol

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29728, 23 January 1962, Page 8

Magistrate’s Court Committed Seven Offences After Release From Gaol

Released from prison in October, Edward Arthur Halligan, aged 41, of no fixed abode, was employed for only a short period before he embarked on a further series of offences, said Sergeant E. S. Tuck in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Halligan, who pleaded guilty to five charges of housebreaking and one each of burglary and theft from a dwelling, was remanded in custody to January 29 for sentence by Mr E. A. Lee. S.M. It appeared that he should be sent to the Supreme Court for sentence, said the Magistrate. The offences were committed in Christchurch between October and January, Sergeant Tuck said. Property valued at £l4l 10s was stolen, and of this £35 10s worth had been recovered. Restitution of £lO4 was asked for.

Halligan was released from prison after serving 28 months on charges of counting house breaking, car conversion, and being idle and disorderly, said Sergeant Tuck. Entry to the houses was gained through windows. When climbing through a window Halligan tore his trousers, so he changed them for another pair in the house He was wearing the stolen trousers when arrested. FINED £3O

On the Friday before Christmas an apprentice carpenter drank some beer with fellow workers on a building site. They then went to a hotel. Later the apprentice went to town to do some Christmas shopping, met a friend, and had two or three more beers, said Mr A. D. Holland.

Mr Holland was appearing for Raymond Willian Salt, aged 20, an apprentice carpenter, who pleaded guilty to a charge of driving under the influence of drink or drugs on Pages road on December 22. Salt was fined £3O, and was disqualified from holding a driver’s licence for three years. At 8.40 p.m. a constable saw Salt driving erratically along Pages road, said Sergeant Tuck. Two or three times he went on to the wrong side of the road. When he was stopped his breath smelt of liquor, and he admitted he had been drinking for much of the day. He was examined by Dr. P. B. Maling, who considered him unfit to drive but not a bad case.

Salt was a first-class apprentice and a reliable worker. Mr Holland said. After having the beer in town he realised he was not in a fit state to drive, and walked around for two hours before getting into his car. At that time Salt thought he had recovered sufficiently to drive. INTOXICATED DRIVER

John William Miller, aged 20. an apprentice electrician, was fined £3O and had his driver's licence cancelled for three years when he pleaded guilty to a charge of driving while under the influence of drink or drugs on December 23.

Sergeant Tuck said that a traffic officer on patrol on the Main North road at 11.20 p.m. saw an unlighted car approaching him. The traffic officer turned and followed the car, which swung over to the incorrect side of the road and narrowly missed a van. The traffic officer stopped the car, and had to support the driver, who appeared to be intoxicated. The accused was taken to the Central Police Station, where a doctor considered him unfit to drive.

Mr B. J. Drake said that the accused had been to a party and had taken an older man and his family home. The man invited him in for a drink, and the accused eventually gave in. He found

later that he had been drinking gin cocktails, which he was not used to. Mr Drake said the case would never have arisen had the man not pressed Miller to further drinks. The accused had a good school record, his employer spoke well of him, and he still had two years and a half to go in his apprenticeship, said Mr Drake. INDECENT LANGUAGE

On a charge of using indecent language in the public bar of the Saxon Hotel. Lyttelton. on January 15. Greta Ailsa Worthington, aged 50 (Mr J. G. Hutchison), was convicted and fined £3 Worthington pleaded not guilty

Sergeant C .D. McMeeking said in evidence that he was making inquiries at the hotel about the theft of a watch when Worthington used the language complained of. “She was then using the telephone and persons in the bar would have no difficulty in hearing her.” Mr Hutchison submitted that there had been no offence, but if there had been it was a trivial one. He agreed the language was insulting. but submitted it was not indecent. “If the remark was made at a gathering of ecclesiastical people it would be indecent,” he said. Mr Hutchison said that Worthington had had about 24 vodkas that day. “The combination of the vodka and the sergeant was a bit too much for her," the Magistrate said. FALSE PRETENCES

Ernest Robert Sutton, aged 26, a driver, was convicted of false pretences at Blackball on December 23, and was remanded in custody to January 29 for sentence. Sutton admitted the charge. Sergeant Tuck said that Sutton called at a grocery, and bought goods valued *at £2 19s He paid with a cheque for £8 and received the change. The cheque was returned by the bank. On January 13. Sutton was interviewed by the police, Sergeant Tuck said At first he denied being on the West Coast, but later admitted he had been there. Sutton said he had been drinking in a hotel with two men. One man gave him a cheque to cash in the store and he returned the change to him. DISCHARGED

Neville George Burnby, aged 18 ,and Neville James Simmonds, aged 19, charged with unlawfully interfering with a motor-car on January 7, were discharged without conviction under section 42 of the Criminal Justice Act. They both plead--', guilty, and were represented by Mr K J McMenamin.

Sergeant Tuck said that a constable saw the two youths with their heads under the bonnet of a car in Ferry road At first they said they were fixing the car for a friend. They later admitted they were removing the distributor rotor arm as a joke. Mr McMenamin said that the car was in charge of a girl attending the same party as Burnby and Simmonds Her escort was to be the main victim of a harmless practical joke. Burnby and Simmonds were each ordered to pay £3 towards the costs of the prosecution.

"WASHING-UP CHARGE ’ On a charge of false pretences involving £8 17s 6d at Wellington on September 30. Ronald James Turner, aged 28, was convicted and ordered to make restitution

Sergeant Tuck said that Turner went to a shop in Petone and asked that a cheque be cashed so that he could travel to the ' South Island. The cheque was valueless. Turner had been sentenced to six months’ imprisonment at Napier for similar offences, and this was a washing-up charge. The offence was committed about the same time as the others SEVEN DAYS’ GAOL

Keith Raymond Lynskey, aged 34, a rubber worker, was sentenced to seven days’ imprisonment and his driver's licence was cancelled for three he pleaded

guilty to a charge of driving while under the influence of drink or drugs on January 20. Sergeant Tuck said that the accused entered Cathedral square at 11 p.m. when the traffic was heavy, and refused to obey a traffic officer who directed him west into Worcester street. The police were called, and the accused was taken to the police station. He was there seen ly a doctor, who considered him unfit to drive. The accused said he had been drinking until 5.40 p.m. and had not realised he was so intoxicated when he went into the Square at 11 p.m. THEFT OF CUTLERY

On a charge of theft of cutlery, valued at 17s 6d, on January 19, Barry Thomas Lewis, aged 23, was fined £3 and ordered to make restitution. He pleaded guilty. Sergeant Tuck said that a constable was called to a disturbance in the Hong Kong Cafe. Lewis was later interviewed about the incident, and the cutlery was found when he was asked to turn out his pockets. He said he had been drinking and was affected by liquor. CHARGE DISMISSED

There appeared to be considerable domestic turmoil in the home, said the Magistrate when dismissing a charge against Joseph William Fitzgerald, aged 33, a waterside worker, of assaulting his wife, Eileen Grace Fitzgerald, on December 23. Fitzgerald, who was represented by Mr R W. Edgley, pleaded not guilty. REMANDED

Malcolm Donald Parker, aged 23. was remanded on bail to January 26 on a charge of theft involving £8 17s 6d at Auckland on July 7.

Edward George Moffit* aged 51, was remanded on bail until February 15 on a charge of driving while under the influence of drinx or drugs on December 2. James Raymond Bryant, aged 39. charged with driving while under the influence of drink or drugs on January 13. was remanded on bail until January 29. Charged w ; th assault at Islington on January 21, Gary Lawrence Olliver, aged 21. was remanded on bail until January 29. On charges of assault anti wilful damage at Christchurch on January 21, Robert Peter William Gray, aged 20. was remanded on bail to January 29. On charges of theft and wilful damage at Christchurch on December 16, Winstone Neville Bailey was remanded on bail to January 29. Charged with being intoxicated while in charge of p car on November 25. James Albert Fowlds, aged 34, was remanded on bail until February 12. On charges of driving while under the influence of drink or drugs, and of dangerous driving on January 21, Warwick John Davids, aged 29, was remanded on bail to January 29. A charge of having no warrant of fitness was adjourned to the same date.

Charged with assault on January 21, a man whose name was suppressed was remanded on bail until February 19. Alexander James Collins aged 28, was remanded on bail to January 31 on a charge of indecent assault on a female at Christchurch on December 23. Dennis Patrick Kerr was remanded in custody to January 26 on charges of unlawfully interfering with a motor-cycle between November 24 and 28. and driving while disqualified at Lyttelton on January 14. Charges of having a false registration plate, an unlicensed motorcycle. and no warrant of fitness were adjourned to the same date.

Kevin Thomas Barrett aged 19. a butcher, was remanded on bail to January 29 on a charge of being intoxicated on January 21 while in charge of a motorvehicle. A charge of being in possession of intoxicating liquor in a public place while a minor was adjourned to the same date.

Elephants For King.— Two baby elephants were given to King Frederik and Queen Ingrid of Denmark yesterday The Danish Royal couple is visiting Northern Thailand as private guests of the Thai Royal Family, after a fiveday State visit to Thailand.— Bangkok, January 19.