Magistrate’s Court EMPLOYEE OF N.A.C. ADMITS THEFT OF £356

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29776, 20 March 1962, Page 8

Magistrate’s Court EMPLOYEE OF N.A.C. ADMITS THEFT OF £356

Three charges of theft as a servant from his employer, the New Zealand National Airways Corporation. involving £356 8s lid. between July 7 and February 14. were admitted by Ormand Frank Steans. aged 54, when he appeared before Mr E A Lee, S.M.. in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Steans was convicted and remanded until March 26 for sentence. Mr P. G S. Penlington appeared tor him Sergeant V. F Townshend said that Steans Joined the corporation in 1957 as a stores account officer stationed at the Christchurch airport. His Job consisted mainly of selling surplus stores to employees of the corporation. During January, while the accused was on holiday, an-, other employee found discrepancies in an account entered by Steans. said Sergeant Townshend. The amount entered differed from the sum banked When interviewed, Steans admitted the theft of £lO 10s on July 7, but gave evasive replies when questioned about other entries.

Sergeant Townshend said thait after being interviewed Steans did not return to his work or to his home, and could not be located. A further check of the accounts showed thefts of £l3 8s and £332 10s lid The offences involved 31 separate transactions, he said. Steans was located on March 5, and later arrested FINED £4O

Pleading guilty to a charge of driving while under the influence of drink or drugs on March 10, Harold Winsome Pierson, aged 55. a public servant (Mr W F Brown), was convicted and fined £4O. and his driver’s licence was cancelled for three years Sergeant Townshend said that a traffic officer saw a car parked on a garden plot in Ferry road near the Radley street bridge. The accused drove off as the traffic officer approached, but he was stopped in Hargood street. The traffic officer ar--ested the accused and took him to the police station where he was examined by Dr P B. Mating and certified as unfit to drive.

Mr Brown said the accused had an unblemished record of more than 40 years in the Public Service, and he had attained a position of some importance. STOLE BICYCLE

A man who was said by his counsel, Mr N. Williamson, to have left home after friction with his parents and gone to live in a boardinghouse so that he could drink to forget his troubles was convicted and fined £2O. in default 25 days’ imprisonment, on a charge of theft of a bicycle, valued at £lO. on March 9.

The man, John Henry Burbridge, aged 42, pleaded guilty. Sergeant Townshend said that a bicycle that had been stolen in the city was found in Chester street by the owner of a boarding-house. He took the bicycle into his house to await collection by the police. The accused, a Lodger at the boarding-house took the bicycle from the house on March 9 and sold it for £3 because he was short of money. Mr Williamson said the accused's supplies of liquor had run out and he took the bicycle to travel to a hotel to buy more drink. While Burbridge was at the hotel he ran short of money, and seeing a second-hand dealer's shop across the road he decided to sell the bicycle The Magistrate gave Burbridge 25 days in which to pay the fine CAR CONVERSION

Pleading guilty to a joint charge of converting a car. valued at £6OO, at Timaru on February 25, Graham John Hill, aged 20, . a workman and Barry Vincent Gardiner, aged 19, a plaaterer, were convicted and remanded until March 26 for sentence Bail was refused both men. On charges of theft of, clothing, valued at £29 ss. on February 22, and carnal knowledge on March 11, Hill was remanded to the same date. He elected trial by jury on these charges. Mr R. G. Blunt appeared for Hill, and Mr A. F. Wildinc for Gardiner.

Sergeant Townshend said that a car converted from a private garage In Timaru on February 25 waa recovered in Christchurch on February

27. When interviewed both accused admitted taking the oar to travel to Christchurch Hill had 11 previous convictions and Gardiner 19. said Sergeant Townshend. DANGEROUS DRIVING

A fine of £3O was imposed on Peter Henry Guillard, aged 24, a production control officer, when he was convicted of a charge of dangerous driving on March 8 His driver’s licence was cancelled for one year. Guillard, who was represented by Mr B. J. Drake, pleaded not guiltyl He also pleaded not guilt? to a charge of driving under the influence of drink or drugs on the same date. This charge was dismissed. Sergeant Townshend said that about 11.15 pm. two traffic officers of the Christchurch City Council saw a small car being driven by Guillard at high speed east along Ferry road. Because of the conditions they were unable to overtake him. Guillard was followed to a house in Sumner, and when he got out of the car he refused to give his name. Sergeant Townshend said His speech was slurred, and there was a smell of alcohol on his breath. Guillard was arrested and taken to the Central Police Station. When examined by Dr. P. B. Maling he was found fit to drive. The Magistrate said that Guillard’s speed of up to 60 miles an hour on a drizzling night with poor visibility and street lighting was, in his view, unquestionably dangerous. He had also been swinging from side to side, and had taken a bend on the wrong side of the road. OBSTRUCTED FOOTPATH A fine of £’.o was imposed on Adrian John Clarke, aged 19, when he pleaded guilty to a charge of obstructing the footpath in Cathedra] square on March 17. Sergeant Townshend said that Clarke was asked by a constable twice to move away from the footpath outside the Strand milkbar. and both times refused. Clarke told the Magistrate that he was not obstructing the footpath, and the reason he was arrested was that he asked the constable to say “please” when requesting him to move. DRUNKENNESS Leo John Paviell, aged 43. and his wife, Doreen Frances Paviell, were convicted and fined £2 and £5 respectively on separate charges of being found drunk in Cathedral square at 7.10 pm. on Saturday. Both denied that they were drunk. Doreen Paviel admitted convictions on three dates during the last six months for drunkenness. Constable B. T. Newton said he arrested both accused in the Palm Grove restaurant, and both were in a drunken condition. Doreen Paviell was using bad language and had a bottle of sherry under her arm, he said. Leo Paviell told the Court that he was not drunk, and said the sergeant at the police station did not think he was either. Doreen Paviell said she was only telling her husband to be quiet. Sergeant Townshend said the woman had 10 previous convictions and that drink was her trouble. She replied that it was not. REMANDED On a charge of driving while under the influence of drink or drugs in Grants road on March 18, Hugh Douglas Annett, aged 41, a tiler, was remanded on bail until March 26 David Bernard Jones, aged 51, a watersider, was remanded until March 26 on a charge of driving while under the influence of drink or drugs in Humphreys road on March 17. Bail was allowed. Charged with a similar offence in Barbadoes street on March 17, Pene Tahuhu, aged 51, was remanded by consent until April 2. Bail was allowed. Stella Cassidy was remanded on bail until March 23 on a charge of the theft of a tin of hair spray valued at 13s 6d on March 12. On a charge of threatening to do grievous bodily harm to Sergeant George Alexander Agnew on February 17, Kevin James Owen was remanded in custody until March 26. (Before Mr E. S J. Crutchley, S.M.) THREE MONTHS* GAOL Three month*’ imprisonment wa* impoeed on Ron-

ald Reginald Chick (Mr G S. Brockett) when he appeared for sentence on a charge of theft of articles to the value of £43 10s on February 22. “In 1960, you were imprisoned tor four months for shopbreaking and theft, and now you have committed this despicable offence of stealing from your mother.” the Magistrate told Chick PROBATION

Charged witu burglary on February 10, Peter Anthony McCormick, aged 21, a workman (Mr R L. Kerr), was released on probation for 18 months and ordered to make restitution of £lB He was appearing for sentence

The offence occurred at 3 and 3A Ferry road. A plateglass window was broken, and a camera, transistor radio, and a tape recorder were taken Mr Kerr said the offence occurred while the accused was intoxicated and while he was out of work FINED F 25

“It is a pity you did not meet somebody bigger than yourself and got what you deserved.” said the Magistrate to Brian Mark Stevens when he appeared for sentence on a charge of assault on March 11. Stevens was fined £25. He was not represented by counsel YOUTH FINED '

Appearing for sentence on a charge of unlawfully taking a car on February 28, Keith Roland de La Mare, aged 20 (Mr A F Wilding), was fined £l5 and placed on probation for two years He was also disqualified from obtaining a driver’s licence for two years.