Magistrate’s Court Former Post Office Employee Admits Thefts

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29952, 13 October 1962, Page 17

Magistrate’s Court Former Post Office Employee Admits Thefts

| An employee of the Christ- ' church Post Office had over a i period of three months taken any letters addressed to “The Leper Man,” Mr P. J I Twomey, and after removing money and cheques from ■ them flushed the letters down ' a lavatory. Sergeant V. F. Townshend said in the ' Magistrate's Court yesterday, i Appearing before Mr t A Lee, S.M., on 21 charges of theft involving £42 Is 6d. William Alan Gwatkin, aged 18. now a factory hand, pleaded guilty, and was remanded on bail until October 1 19 for sentence.

Sergeant Townshend said that the accused was interviewed by the Post Office authorities on August 17 and later by the police. He admitted that since April he bad been constantly opening unregistered mail addressed to Mr Twomey and stealing any money in the envelopes.

I ”He said he would take [the letters from the pigeon--holes and then take them to a toilet where he would remove the money and flush the letter down the toilet.” said Sergeant Townshend. I “Unfortunately it will never be known how many letters addressed to Mr Twomey the accused [opened, as only a minority of the senders laid eom- | plaints.” I GweCkin was caught after I six test letters had been sent |by the Post Office daring ■ August. Sergeant Townshend [said. When interviewed, the accused said that the fact that he was continually short of money was the reason for the offences. Of the £42. £l3 10s 6d was in cheques and restitution of £2B Ils was requested, he said. ALLEGED ATTEMPT TO RAPE

On a charge of attempted rape at Hinds on October 5. Edward Frank Hughes, aged 30, a machinist (Mr B. J Drake), was remanded to October 19. Bail was allowed at £2OO, with one surety of £2OO.

Applying for suppression of the accused’s name. Mr Drake said that Hughes bed I been ill for about five years and had been consulting a physician during that time. He was married, and lived in Christchurch. On the application of Sergeant Townshend the Magistrate suppressed the name -of the complainant. Ha said lit was not a proper case for [suppression of the accused’s [ name. STOWED AWAY A man who was charged I with stowing away on the IRangitoto at Auckland on October 9 was discharged under section 42 of the Criminal Justice Act. His name was suppressed. Be pleaded guilty. A probation officer, J. Ry ley. saidtt was an unusual case. The accused's father was killed in the last war. He went to college in Holland until he was 18. and had two years in the Army, and three years at (university. For two years he was recreation officer on Dutch ships, and three months ago he emigrated to New Zealand.

The accused brought his car to New Zealand, said Mr Ryley, and found he had to pay £4BO duty on it. He arranged to pay the duty over a period, and applied for a job. He was told he would get a job as a physical education instructor in four or five months. He took a job as a storeman In the interim. The accused could not sell the car and make anything on It, and felt so lonely and desperate that he had to do something about it. He was living on starvation rations, so decided to come to Christchurch, where he had friends.

The shipping company did not ask for the passage money. YEAR’S GAOL

Victor Alfred Anderson, aged 38, a bar porter, was sentenced to six months' imprisonment foi theft from a dwelling house at Trentham on or about August 10. three months’ imprisonment for false pretences on or about August 11. and three months’ imprisonment for false pretences on or about August 13. the terms to be cumulative.

On a charge of stealing £4 10s on September 18. he was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, and to six months’ imprisonment for theft of an electric razor valued at £7 10s on September 9, the terms to be concurrent. He was convicted of the charges last week. "WITHOUT MEANS’ "This woman committed no offence other than being without means." said the Magistrate when granting suppression of name for a woman who appeared for sentence on a charge of being idle and disorderly on October 5. She was released on probation for 18 months. Mr M. J. Glue said the woman had given up hope at the time of her arrest. She had lost her money, friends, and work. “More than anything else she needs a chance to get on her feet,” he said. FINED £7

A fine of £7 was imposed on [ a man who appeared for sentence on a charge of theft of [timber, valued at £l2 15s, between April 1 and September plfl. The man’s name was supI pressed. I Foi the accused. Mr R. F. B Perry said that he had heavy I financial commitments at the I time of the offence. The timber was taken from a mill which had been closed for nine months The timber had been [exposed to the weather during [ this time. The accused had bought timber for a garage but lit had not been enough.

REMANDED FOR SENTENCE A transistor radio, valued at £ 10. which was stolen from a house by Kenneth Graham Hand, aged 17. was sold to a Sydenham second-hand dealer for £2 10s. said Sergeant A Lambert

Hand pleaded guilty to Wo charges of burglary, two of breaking and entering one of indecent assault on a female, one of wilful damage and one of being a minor purchasing liquor. He wag remanded until October 19 for sentence The offences occurred between September 9 and September 26. The burglary and breaking and entering’offences took place in properties occupied bv persons known to the accused, said Sergeant Lambert. The indecent assault was committed on a woman while she was sitting on a seat In Sydenham Park. THUTS ADMITTED After being employed as a shop assistant in a Wellington store for only five days. Paul Francis Dowd, aged 17. left the store and it was discovered that duplicate dockets were missing said Sergeant Lambert Dowd pleaded guilty to theft as a servant of £l5 10s between Seotember 13 and September 18. He was remanded until October 19 for sentence Sergeant Lambert said the

accused had been in a mental hospital after he had attempted to take his own life by slashing his wrists. He was a self-con-fessed homosexual. GIRL SENTENCED

Appearing for sentence on three charges of theft of articles valued at £l9 from the Hermitage on August 19 and 20. and theft of £5 at Christchurch on September 24 Brenda Patricia Fell, aged 17. a salesgirl, was sentenced to Borstal training SHOPLIFTING

Pleading guilty to charges ol shoplifting from Wooiworths iN.Z.i. Ltd., High street, uu September 21 and September 24. a woman, whose name was suppressed was convicted and the hearing was adjourned until October 19 lor sentence Mr H. J. B. Quigley appeared tor the accusers.

Sergeant Townshend said tliat Hie woman was seen by the store manager to take a case, a handbag, and a slip, of a total value of £3 4s 10d. Asking for suppression of name. Mr Quigley said the woman had a grown-up family who did not know of the offences. The Magistrate said he would suppress the name for one week so that the family could be told ASSAULT Charged with assault on September 22 a man. whose name was suppressed (Mr A. Hearn) was convicted and fined £5. He pleaded guilty. Sergeant Townshend said that the complainant went to lie accused and complained about the amount of an account The account was paid, but a heated argument developed. and the complainant was hit in the right eye. Mr Hearn said the accused had worked hard since he came to this country. The complainant called him a robber and a thief, and the offence was a result of the accused’s losing his temper. It was the first time he had been in trouble. CREDIT BY FRAUD Pleading guilty to a charge of obtaining credit by fraud to the value of £29 9s 2d from Hay’s. Ltd. on September 14, Valerie Eileen Brown, aged 17 (Mr L. G. Holder), was convicted and remanded on bail to October 19 for sentence. Sergeant Lambert said that Hay’s Ltd. reported clothes having been bought and credited to tlie account of a person named R. G. Dempsey who said his credit card had been stolen from him. When interviewed the accused said a man she had been living with had given her the credit card. BORSTAL TRAINING “You are determined to get into bother, it is impossible to trust you at large.” the Magistrate told Allan Edward Faass. aged 18. when he sentenced him to Borstal training. Faass was appearing for sentence on a charge of burglary at Fairlie on September 20. He had nothing to say. INDECENT ASSAULT Pleading guilty to five charges of Indecently assaulting boys aged under 16 between January and September, a man. whose name was suppressed (Mr B. McClelland), w’as fined £2O on each of tw’O charges and released on probation for three years on the three remaining charges. STOLE PIGEONS William John Roberts; aged 17. was convicted of stealing two fantail pigeons, valued at £B. on May 17. and proceedings were adjourned to October 19 for sentence. CHARGE DISMISSED A charge against Trevor McLean Parker, aged 21. a truck driver, of using obscene language In Gloucester street on July 29 was dismissed. He pleaded not guilty, and was repretented by Mr J. G. Leggat.

FINED £2 Charged with having no warrant of fitness on August 5. Peter Clifford Muxlow was fined £2. He did not appear. REMANDED On a joint- charge of burglary on September 8. William Alfred Symons, aged 27. a welder, and Neil Ernest Nicholas Dempsey, aged 22, unemployed, were remanded until October 19. Symons in custody, and Dempseyon bail. Symons was also remanded to the same date on

single charges of burglary, possession of housebreaking implements, and being a rogue and a vagabond. Dempsey also faces a single charge of burglary. On a charge of obtaining £5 5s by a false pretence on September 26. Trevor Jack Laby, aged 26. a farmhand, was remanded until October 19

Robyn Anne Crane, aged 18. and another girl, whose name was suppressed, were remanded on bail to October 19 on a charge of stealing a camera, valued at £4O. at Auckland on September 17. Electing trial by jury on a charge of false pretences involving £26 15s 4d on August 25. Daniel John Gorman, aged 37. and Joel David George Dale, aged 33. were remanded on bail to October 24.

Samuel Robert Gregg Smith, aged 67. retired, was remanded to October 23 on two charges of false pretences He is required to stay in the Salvation Army home until that date. (Before Mr A P. Blair. S.M.) CHARGE DISMISSED

A charge against Alan Alfred Walker, aged 38. a draintayer (Mr M. J. Gluei. of assaulting William John Elliott, a vehicle inspector, on Julv 28 was dismissed

Elliott, a former police constable. said he was engaged to play the piano at a twenty-first birthday party in the North Linwood Tennis Club pavilion on July 28 He did not know any of those present. He played for several dances and then went out to the lavatory. The next thing he remembered was waking up in bed about 8 a.m. the next day. His face was cut and swollen, and his left eye closed

Elliott was later admitted to the Burwood Hospital with four fractures to the left of his face. He was a patient for two weeks and underwent two operations. Elliott said he did not know tlie accused. He thought he had been beaten up by someone with a grievance against him as a policeman. Some youths had threatened to get him after he had been called to a brawl at an Edgeware road dance hall, he said.

Alfred Henry Skinner said lie heard the accused refuse to supply Elliott with liquor. He said Elliott was very drunk and could not play the piano properly. Skinner said he saw the accused push Elliott ■ over. They then went outside together. and Elliott later came in with a gashed face. With another person at the party, Skinner said, he tried to take Elliott home. They drove about Waltham but Elliott was unable to tell them where he lived. They left him outside the Waltham Arms Hotel. In a statement to the police the accused said he was barman at his niece’s party. She had instructed him not to serve Elliott with. more liquor. Elliott invited him outside for a fighit He remembered striking Elliott several times on the side of the face Mr Glue submitted that there was no assault because Elliott offered to fight and the accused accepted There was no evidence to prove how Elliott came by his injuries. The Magistrate said tlie accused was entitled to use force in ejecting Elliott but he was concerned whether the force was excessive There was some doubt, and the accused was entitled to the benefit of it THEFT OF ONIONS Edward Arthur Spence, aged 37, a contractor (Mr J. A Brotherton). was convicted and remanded on bail to October 19 for ’sentence on a charge of theft of three bags of onions valued at £5 8s on August 29 Spence pleaded not guilty. The Magistrate said the only question to be decided was the accused’s degree of implication in the theft. "The case has been carefully Investigated and carefully prepared. and it has been proved up to the hilt.” he said. (Before Mr E. S. J Crutchley S.M.) FINED £3O Josef Jan Tietink. aged 24 a supervisor (Mr D. J. Hill), was convicted and fined £3O on charges of driving in a manner which might have been dangerous. failing to stop after an accident and falling to report an accident on August 31. His driving licence was cancelled for one year Tietink pleaded not guilty to the three charges, which were part heard on Thursday.