Magistrate’s Court Four Men Stole £900 Worth Of U.S. Property

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30040, 26 January 1963, Page 14

Magistrate’s Court Four Men Stole £900 Worth Of U.S. Property

Four men who stole £9OO worth of property from the United States Navy store of machinery and equipment at Christchurch airport were convicted and remanded on bail to February 1 for sentence by Mr E. A. Lee, SM, in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. “As a result of the thefts, the operations of the United States task force in the Antarctic suffered to quite an extent,” said Detective-Ser-geant J. P. Crozier, prosecuting for the police. The men charged were Arthur Ronald George Walker, aged 25, a driver (Mr M. J. Glue), Allen Frederick Leyden, aged 35, a driver, Robert Owen Benjamin Haskett, aged 29, a workman (Mr M. G. L. Loughnan), and Steven Malcolm Walker, aged 17, an assistant storeman (Mr Glue). Arthur Walker and Haskett pleaded guilty to two joint charges of theft of equipment from the United States Navy on September 15 and 25 and they also pleaded guilty to burglary on November 29. Arthur Walker and Steven Walker pleaded guilty to a joint charge erf theft of tools from the United States Navy valued at £6OO on or about October 19. Steven Walker pleaded not guilty to stealing tools worth £5O on the same date and was remanded to February 1. Leyden and Arthur Walker pleaded guilty to stealing tractor lights and a wheel assembly from the Canterbury Tractor Company at Rolleston on or about July 18. Leyden pleaded not guilty to receiving stolen property valued at £lO on September 16, and was remanded to February 1.

Detective-Sergeant Crozier said Arthur Walker’s house was searched when he was questioned about the theft from the Canterbury Tractor Company. A large amount of property that the United States Navy had reported stolen was found in the house. The men admitted going by car to the back of Christchurch airport and walking across paddocks to the navy stockpile. As well as machinery and tools they took several crates of stationery and a crate of snowshovels. Some of the stationery was dumped in Lake Bryndwr. YOUTHS CHARGED

Four youths were convicted and remanded in custody to February 1 for sentence when they pleaded guilty to charges of burglary, car conversion, theft and breach of probation.

One burglary and one car conversion were committed at Ashburton on January 6, the remainder were committed in Christchurch between January 1 and January 14. The accused were jointly charged on several offences.

Kevin Moana Jarden, aged 17, a workman (Mr R. G. (Blunt), pleaded guilty to 14 charges of burglary, not guilty to one charge of burglary, and guilty to three charges of car conversion. Richard John Travers, aged 19, a workman, pleaded guilty to nine charges of burglary, two charges of theft and one charge of committing a breach of probation. Kevin Huia James Te Rongapatahi Stevens, aged 18, a factory hand (Mr J. F. Burn), pleaded guilty to seven charges of burglary and two of car conversion. He pleaded not guilty to one charge of burglary. Terrence Kemi Hani. aged 17, a workman (Mr Bum), pleaded guilty to 12 charges of burglary and two of car conversion. THEFT OF MOTOR Because they had built a boat and wanted to try it, two young men stole a 40 horsepower outboard motor and petrol tank, of a total value of £3OO, from a cabin cruiser moored at Redcliffs. on November 25 said Sergeant B. D. Read. The men, Alan James Fraser, aged 22. a workman, and Arthur George Miles, aged 21, a workman, pleaded guilty to a joint charge of theft and were remanded to February 1 for sentence. Bail was allowed. Sergeant Read said when the accused could not get the motor started they abandoned it in a garage at Kaikoura. REMANDED FOR SENTENCE A man seen loitering near the Styx Bridge on January 21 was thought to be the escaped prisoner. Edward Murray Moore. *d the Papa-

nui police were called, said Detective-Sergeant Crozier.

However, the man was found not to be Moore, but because of his shabby appearance he was interviewed and admitted earlier breaking into an empty house in Timaru.

The man, Graham James Keith Farnum, aged 19, a workman, pleaded guilty to a charge of burglary and was remanded on bail until February 1 for sentence. Detective-Sergeant Crozier said Farnum had arrived in Christchurch from Timaru on January 18.

BURGLARY ADMITTED The contents of Christmas presents were thrown about the ulterior of a house in Papanul when it was entered by John Edward Coombes on December

15, said Sergeant Read. Coombes. aged 17, unemployed. pleaded guilty to a charge of burglary and also one of unlawfully converting a bicycle, valued at £25 17s 6d, from Hagley Park, on December 2. He was remanded on bail until February 1 for sentence. Mr G. R. Lascelles appeared for the accused. SHOPLIFTING A woman, whose name was suppressed, was remanded until February 1 for sentence when she was convicted of a charge of theft of stockings, valued at 10s lid, from woolworths (N.Z.), Ltd., High street, on December 24. The woman pleaded not guilty to the charge and was represented by Sir R. G. Blunt. STOLE RING Clive Belmont Goodenough, aged 22, a salesman (Mr A. Hearn), was convicted and remanded to February 1 for sentence on a charge of stealing an engagement ring valued at £BO on or about November 30. Goodenough pleaded guilty to the charge. Detective - Sergeant Crozier said the complainant reported an engagement ring had been stolen from his home. The ring was recovered in a city jewellers’ shop where it had been traded for another ring. The accused admitted going to the complainant’s home when he was away and taking the ring from a bedroom. FINED £l5 Charged with disorderly behaviour in Jolly street on November 27, Roy George Fairclough, aged 24, a fitter’s mate, was fined £lO, and for having no driver’s licence on the same date he was fined £5. Fairclough was also disqualified from obtaining a licence for 12 months. He pleaded guilty to both charges. Sergeant Read said Fairclough called out from his car to a girl cycling along Moorhouse avenue. The girl ignored him and continued to her .home in Jolly street. Fairclough followed and called out again and whistled to the girl. A man who told Fairclough to leave the girl alone was abused and sworn at. Before Fairclough drove off the number of his car was taken. He later admitted to the police that he had never held a driver's licence. CREDIT BY FRAUD Pleading guilty to -a charge of obtaining credit by fraud at Timaru between November 29 and December 1. Albert Eskett Page, aged 53, unemployed, was convicted and remanded in custody to February 1 for sentence. Detective - Sergeant Crozier said Page stayed at a Timaru hotel and left without paying £3 Ils he owed for board. He was arrested in Christchurch and was at present serving a three-day prison sentence. LICENSING CHARGES Charged with being found on licensed premises after hours, Lindsay Alexander Heney, aged 18, Douglas Ray Heney, aged 45, Angus Raymond White, aged 29, and Kirkland .Christopher Fenton were each fined £3. Murray Victor White, aged 18. was fined £5 for purchasing liquor while a minor. CHARGES ADJOURNED Four licensing charges against the Riccarton Working Men’s Club and Mutual School of Arts, and four similar charges against the Christchurch Working Men's Club and Mutual School of Arts were adjourned to February 1. Mr P. G. S. Penlington represented both clubs. FIREARMS BREACH Pleading guilty by letter to a charge of procuring possession of a firearm without a permit on November 22. John George Foley, aged 19, a shop assistant, was fined £3. REMANDED Charged with assaulting a woman on January 19. a man, whose name was suppressed, was remanded on bail to February 4. Peter Lloyd Machirus. aged 17 a labourer, was remanded on bail to February 1 on two charges of stealing hubcaps on December 8 and one charge of burglary on December 27. On five charges of false pretences between November 28 and December 12. Graham Lindsay Morgan, aged 78 a watchmaker, was remanded on bail until February 1. . Gustav HegedUS. aged 23 a forestry worker, was remanded Aim Jones on December 14 and assaulting Murray Jotai Roberts onJtovember 9. Bail was allowed. On two chargee of burglary and two of unlawfully taking can between January- 1 and January 13. Ronald John Harvey. aged 17. was remanded until Monday. (Before Mr A. P. Blair. S.M.) FINEDOO _ Jack William ,De«nond Pewson. aged 28. a linewnan (Mr M. J. Glue), was fined 139 and placed on probation for two yean when he appeared for

sentence on eight charges of thefts from building sites. An order was made for return of property. Pearson was last week convicted of theft of a trailer, a concrete mixer, steel, two tarpaulins. building blocks, wire netting, cement, and corrugated iron.

“I accept that these offences resulted from the defendant's desire to build a garage for which he had insufficient finance." said the Magistrate. "Usually a person convicted of such a series of offences would go to prison, but in view of your good working record and that this is your first appearance in Court, the penalty will be a fine.”

THREE YEARS’ GAOL Three years’ imprisonment was Imposed on Terrence William Phillip Pennell, aged 34, when he appeared for sentence on three charges of burglary, one of unlawfully taking a car, and one of false pretences. He was appearing for sentence. On the burglary charges he was gaoled for three years, on the conversion charge two yeans, and on the false pretences charge one year, the terms to be concurrent. On a further three charges of false pretences committed at Rotorua, Pennell yesterday pleaded guilty and was convicted and discharged. THREE MONTHS’ GAOL ’’l hate sending a man like you to prison—a good worker and a good husband—but your thefts were ones which brought suspicion on to other people,” said the Magistrate when sentencing David Alan Scott, aged 25. a workman (Mr L.H. Moore), to three monttis* imprisonment on 14 changes of theft of goods from railway trucks. He was also placed on probation for one year and ordered to make restitution of £54 8s 2d. FINED £25 Saying that he would assume in the accused’s favour that he was led into the offence, he would not send him to prison, said the Magistrate when he fined Robert William Kinnaird, aged 23, a linesman, £25. Kinnaird (Mr M. J. Glue) was appearing for sentence on a charge of theft of a concrete mixer, valued at £4O, on December 27. Mr Glue said the accused was weak rather than vicious and had now learned his lesson. OBSCENE EXPOSURE Appearing for sentence on a charge of obscene exposure in the Botanic Gardens on December 20, Arthur Marsh. aged 31. a painter and paperhanger, was fined £25. On a further charge of unlawfully taking a bicycle, valued at £lO on the same date, Marsh was convicted and discharged. CHARGES DISMISSED ’The defendant may have been tactless and hot tempered, but it is also dear that the complainant was provocative, and this attitude probably triggered off the incident,'* said the Magistrate when he dismissed two charges 'of assault against Edward Alec Pearcy. aged 37, a radio technician (Mr A. F. Wilding). The prosecution alleged the accused had assaulted Alice Liddell and John Wright Liddell in his shop at 468 Papanui road, on December 18. Pearcy pleaded not guilty to both changes. A charge against Donald Charles Emms, aged 34, a plasterer (Mr R. G. Blunt), of using obscene language in Manchester street on November 30, was dismissed. The Magistrate said the force of the complainant's case was weakened by his making no complaint to the police at the time of the alleged incident. It was only when the complainant had been accused of assault by Emms, who went u> the police, that the substance of the present charge had .been reported.