Three Youths And Girl Face 49 Charges

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29744, 10 February 1962, Page 16

Three Youths And Girl Face 49 Charges

Three youths and a girl appeared before Mr A. P. Blair, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday to face charges that took the clerk more than 20 minutes to read.

The four faced 49 charges involving breaking and entering strops, garages, and houses, theft, and conversion, committed In Christchurch and Dunedm and centres as far north as Whatamango Bay. near Picton, in January. u . . Graham Roy Ritchie, aged 21, a mechanic, pleaded guilty to 19 charges of breaking and entering, five charges of theft, four charges of unlawfully taking motor-cars, and two charges of attempting to take motor-cars. With Roger Robert Hubert Matchitt, he faced a joint charge of breaking and entering. Both pleaded guilty. Matchitt pleaded guilty to three charges of theft and four of breaking and entering. Dawn Rosalie Yeatman, an unemployed machinist, aged 17 (Mr G. S. Brockett) pleaded guilty to four charges of unlawfully taking motor-cars, and three charges of breaking and entering.

Brian Lloyd Jones (Mr B. McClelland) pleaded guilty to a charge of breaking and entering. He denied charges of unlawfully taking a motorcar, unlawfully getting into a motor-car, and breaking and entering. Ritchie, Yeatman, and Matchitt were remanded in custody to February 16 for a probation officer's report and sentence. Jones will have his case heard on February 16. He was remanded on bail to that date. Sergeant E. S. Tuck outlined the case for the police. He said Ritchie entered a grocery store at Centaurus road on January 2 and stole goods worth £9 Is 2d. Later that evening he took 5s in halfpennies jJter entering a shop on the Main South road, Hornby. The door was damaged to the extent of £l. An unsuccessful attempt was made to enter the shop next door. On January 4 at 9 p.m., Ritchie, in the company of Yeatman, took a car from the corner of Hereford and Liverpool streets. They drove to Amberley where they entered a garage and took £9 cash. From another garage they took £7 2s. The couple then drove to Cheviot where Ritchie entered another garage and took £l2 10s.

They abandoned the car in Nelson on January 5. Later that day the couple decided to return to Christchurch. Ritchie took a car. abandoned it, and took another.

In Christchurch, they decided to go to Dunedin in the stolen car. Before leaving, Ritchie entered a house at New Brighton and took goods and jewellery valued at £36 19s.

Arriving at Rakaia on the evening of January 6, Ritchie entered a drapery shop, and he and Yeatman stole clothing. Ritchie then entered a chemist shop and stole property valued at £46 17s lOd.

On the same evening at Rakaia, Ritchie stole goods worth £26 2s 4d from a hairdresser and tobacconist, and made an unsuccessful attempt to break open the safe in the T.A.B. office.

At 1.15 a.m. on January 7 Ritchie entered a store at Tinwald and helped steal goods worth £lO, and £5 15s lOd cash.

At Timaru they abandoned a car over a bank, damaging it to the extent of £2O. At Timaru, Ritchie took a

camera valued at £2 10s from a perked car. At Dunedin, on January 8. a companion of Ritchie and Yeatman was arrested. The couple then took a car and drove to Ob mar u. abandoned the car, and returned to Christchurch by train. Yeatman was located by police at an address in the city on January 9. Travelling on his own, Ritchie entered a shop at Rangiora on January 9. and stole £4 17s cash. After taking a car valued at £640 Ritchie drove to Picton. He had the car in his possession when arrested. Before his arrest. Ritchie drove to Sydenham, entered a shop and stole clothing worth £l7 12s 6d. A fruit shop in Hampshire street that Ritchie entered reported having goods valued at £l2l 5s lOd stolen. Restitution of £3's 6s 6d was sought from Ritchie, Sergeant Tuck said. Ritchie and Matchitt committed the joint charge of breaking and entering at Blenheim on January 26. Sergeant Tuck said. The other offences by Matchitt took place at Blenheim. Woodbourne, and Whatamango Bay.

Successful Treatment.— Though immersed in Wellington Harbour ' for five years, samples of specially treated Umber brought to the surface yesterday showed no sign of having been been attacked by marine infestation. Untreated samples in some cases had completely rotted.—(P.A.)