MAGISTRATE’S COURT Woman Stole £2436 From Employers In Eight Months

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30395, 20 March 1964, Page 7

MAGISTRATE’S COURT Woman Stole £2436 From Employers In Eight Months

A woman, aged 39, who Stole £2436 7s Id from her employers in eight months, was remanded to April 6 for sentence by Mr E. A. Lee, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court at Christchurch yesterday. The accused, Agnes Thomson, pleaded guilty. Detective-Sergeant D. C. Lee, said Thomson had misappropriated the money while employed as a clerk by Graham Reid and Company between July, 1963, and March, 1964. She started in a small way, but when an audit was made it was found that £2436 7s Id had been stolen.

Thomson told the police she had used the money to help a small business she was running at a loss. DetectiveSergeant Lee said the accused was frank about the matter when interviewed by the police, and wanted everything cleared up. Mr D. H. Stringer, who represented Thomson, said she was separated from her husband, and had been fighting to raise her family, who were attending college. Asking for suppression of Thomson’s name, he said her children knew nothing of the offence. “I can offer no medical grounds,” he said. The Magistrate refused the request, and remanded Thomson on bail for a probation officer’s report and sentence. THEFT OF £1378 Over seven years a senior saleswoman of Hay’s, Ltd., stole £1378 2s 5d from her employers by short ringing the till on cash sales and pocketing the balance, said Sergeant S. Byers. Marie Frances Wilson, aged 60, a saleswoman, pleaded guilty to two charges of theft as a servant of £866 Is Id and £512 Is 4d. She was remanded on bail to April 6 for sentence.

On March 6 the police received a complaint from Hay’s, Ltd., that an employee was suspected of stealing £3 from the cash register in the corsetry department. Wilson admitted taking the money, and she admitted short ringing the till over a period of seven years.

Wilson’s bank account was examined with her permission, and it was found that payments of £1375 2s 5d had been made which could not be accounted for. Restitution of £1375 2s 5d was asked for, said Sergeant Byers. Mr M. F. Hobbs asked for suppression of Wilson’s name.

“Any person who defrauds his employer of more than £l3OO over seven years cannot possibly have his name suppressed,” the Magistrate said. SET FIRE TO HOSPITAL A woman who went into the Ellesmere Maternity Hospital at Leeston to have a baby dreamed that the hospital caught fire. The dream played on her mind and she set the hospital alight, said Sergeant Byers. Theresa Philomenia Yandell, aged 25, a married woman, pleaded guilty to a charge of wilfully attempting to set fire to the Ellesmere

Maternity Hospital. She was remanded on bail to April 6 for sentence.

On January 30 Yandell en-l tered the hospital and had a child the same day, Sergeant Byers said. About 2.20 pun. I on February 4 a nurse aid saw smoke coming from the office. It was found that a bed was smouldering, and that part of the wall was burning. The fire was put out with an extinguisher. The damage was estimated at £l5 ss.

It was learned that Yandell borrowed matches from a gardener on the pretext of lighting a cigarette. She admitted lighting the fire and said that two days before she had had a dream which played on her mind. On the afternoon of February 4, while the patients and staff were having afternoon tea, she went into the office and lit a piece of paper which she dropped beside the bed.

Yandell was an Eurasian who was born in Malaya. She was the wife of a serviceman at Burnham camp. She had been homesick and wanted to return to her own people. She, her husband and two children would be returning to Malaysia in July of this year, said Sergeant Byers. THREAT TO KILL

A man who had threatened to kill the woman with whom he had been living, was found to have a knife in his possession during a scuffle, said Sergeant Byers. Trevor Percy John Sand-1 ford, aged 38, a welder, pleaded guilty to a charge of threatening to kill Mavis Mabel Sward on January 4. He was remanded on bail to April 6 for sentence. The complainant was a married woman, aged 34, who was separated from her husband, Sergeant Byers said. About 18 months ago she met Sandford and they lived together at North Beach. In November relationships between them became strained. Sandford appeared to take exception to the woman’s 13-year-old son living with them. Over a period he threatened to kill the woman and her son.

On January 4 the woman was washing dishes in her flat in Salisbury street when Sandford appeared at the partly open kitchen window.! A visitor to the flat went outside and a struggle took place. The landlord arrived and took possession of a knife which fell from Sandford’s pocket. Sandford shouted at the woman that he would kill her. Sandford admitted the offence, and said he only intended to frighten the woman and that was the reason he had the knife. Although the woman had lived with Sandford for a period she had told him she did not want the association to continue. Sand-j ford was separated from his wife. FINED £5O

Joseph Potts, aged 62, a farmer, was fined £5O on a charge of driving under the influence of drink or drugs

on January 25. His driver’s licence was cancelled for three years. He pleaded guilty.

Sergeant S. Byers said at 8.15 p.m. Potts was driving a truck at 25 miles an hour towards Lincoln on the main Tai-Tapu highway. At a bend he collided head on with a car travelling in the opposite direction. Both vehicles were I extensively damaged. Before the accident several persons saw Potts driving on the wrong side of the road for a considerable time and in an erratic manner. The vehicle was weaving as it approached the corner. Potts was unsteady on his feet and was unable to stand without support and his breath smelt strongly of liquor. He suffered a gash on the head and was admitted to hospital, Sergeant Byers said.

Mr R. G. Blunt, for the accused, said Potts had 10 stitches inserted in his head. He had retired after being 37 years in a Government I department and bought a small farm. The loss of his licence would cause him considerable hardship. 21 MONTHS’ GAOL Cyril Seymour Johnson, aged 33, was sent to prison for a total of 21 months when he appeared for sentence on two charges of theft and one of burglary. “You have a long record of serious crime,” the Magistrate said. YEAR’S GAOL Leonard Kevin Bradley, aged 30, was sentenced to a total of 12 months’ imprisonment when he appeared for sentence on three charges of theft and two of unlawfully interfering with a car. Mr M. G. L. Loughnan, for the accused, said Bradley was an alcoholic.

“Liquor is getting you into trouble but you have not accepted any advice or help so I’m going to put you where you won’t get liquor for some time,” the Magistrate said. / FOUR MONTHS’ GAOL William John Thompson, aged 36, was sentenced to

four months’ imprisonment on a charge of attempted burglary. Mr G. T. Mahon, for the accused, said Thompson had taken no active part in the offence. After his release

from prison he had tried to get a job. He had been drinking for two days before the offence occurred. FINED £l5

On a charge of receiving goods, valued at £1 12s, when he knew they had been stolen, William George Perriton, aged 23, unemployed, was fined £l5 and was ordered to make restitution of ss.

Mr R. de R. Flesher said the offence had arisen because Perriton had been associating with bad comI pany but he would keep away from these persons in the future. “I have no doubt you knew the cigarettes were stolen,” said the Magistrate. “You have got every reason to be careful.” TWO YEARS’ GAOL

“You were barely out of

prison after serving a term for burglary when you set out on this further series of offences; a longer term is required,” said the Magistrate in sentencing Tutu Tautuhi, aged 31, to a total of two years’ gaol on five charges of burglary. SENT TO BORSTAL

“You were only released from Borstal in January and now you are facing 23 I charges of burglary,” said I the Magistrate when sentencing Brian Ivan Agnew, laged 19. “The only possible thing to do is to return you to Borstal,” he said. Agnew was also convicted and discharged for a breach of probation. WARNING

“The time is approaching when you will go to prison,” said the Magistrate in fining I Robin Dean Turner, aged 23 (Mr M. J. Glue) £l5 when he appeared for,sentence on a charge of being in an enclosed yard without lawful excuse. NAME SUPPRESSED A 17-year-old student whose name was suppressed was remanded on bail to April 6 after he had pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing a wallet and money valued at £l3 5s 5d on a train between Christchurch and Blenheim on December 26. PROBATION

“I would like to think that you have learned your lesson and I hope to see no more of you,” said the Magistrate when admitting Ronald Bruce Crabb, aged 26, to probation for 18 months on a charge of stealing £6O 10s 7d as a servant He was ordered to pay £l5 towards the cost of the prosecution and to work where directed by the probation officer. STOLE RIFLE

Ivan Keith Harris, aged 39, a labourer, was fined £lO on a charge of stealing a 22 i semi-automatic rifle, the property of Ronald Septimus Skates at Little River on February 15. He pleaded guilty. Sergeant Byers said the rifle was taken from a porch. Harris said he was so drunk that he did not know he had taken it

JURISDICTION DECLINED The Magistrate declined jurisdiction when David George Keenan, aged 28, a workman, appeared for sentence on 20 charges of burglary and eight of attempted burglary. Keenan was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.

FIGHTING Gavin Ronald Malcolm Campey and Jan Rennen were each fined £lO when they admitted charges of fighting in Gloucester street on March 18. TOOK MOTOR-CYCLE

Francis Alan Sparks was fined £7 10s and ordered to make restitution of £27 10s when he appeared for sentence on a charge of unlawfully taking a motor-cycle at Ashley, valued at £l4O. Mr W. A. Wilson, who appeared for Sparks, said his client was in court for the first time. He had not realised the motor-cycle was being used without the consent of its owner and had been only a pillion passenger on itRECEIVING CHARGE

Brian John Mercer, aged 20, was fined £2O and placed on probation for 18 months when he appeared for sentence on a charge of receiving stolen property valued at £65 on March 8.

Mr R. G. Blunt said Mercer would benefit from probation and would return with his mother to his home in Nelson. He unsuccessfully applied for suppression of Mercer’s name.

“Receivers of stolen property are not kindly regarded by the Courts,” said the Magistrate. ENTERED BARRACKS Eric Noel Johnstone, aged 29, and Maurice Winston Clark, aged 22, were convicted on a charge that they entered the United States barracks at Christchurch Airport on March 4 intending to take clothing. Clark was represented by Mr G. R. Lascelles. Both men were remanded on bail to April 6 for sentence. SUPPLIED MINOR LIQUOR

Richard John Leaker, aged 23, a storeman, was fined £5 on a charge of supplying liquor to a minor at the Eastern Hotel on January 3. Sergeant Byers said the defendant bought beer for a youth of 19. REMANDED Johnny Revai Hoanl Aparere Henare, aged 20, was remanded to March 26 on a charge of burglary. Norman William Bradley, aged 28, was remanded to March 26 on charges of theft from, and interfering with a car. He elected to be tried by a jury. A man, whose name was suppressed, was remanded to April 9 on a charge of being a rogue and vagabond in that he was found by night in a house at Southbrook. James Davies, a hospital porter, was remanded on bail to March 26 on a charge of extor tion from Albert Johnstone Sutherland, Involving £7O, al Hanmer Springs on February 21. (Before Mr A. P. Blair, S.M.)

BURGLARY Reginald John Hills, aged 33, a driver, was convicted and remanded in custody to .March 26 for sentence when he. pleaded guilty to a charge of burglary on November 23. Detective-Sergeant D. Lite said Mr H. O. Jacobsen s property at 4 Clifford avenue was broken into between 9.30 p.m. and midnight while the complainant was entertaining friends, Three watches, bracelets and silk scarves worth £lO6 were token from a bedroom. Hills said he . had had an argument with Pis de facto wife and he told ttpr 1 he was going to do a job ana ■he hoped he got caught. He . said he threw the stolen property away. 1 THREAT TO KILL To enable a probation officer s 1 report to be obtained, Robert ! Zimala, aged 51, a factory hand s (Mr A. K. Archer), was furi. ther remanded on ball to March , 26 for sentence on a charge of 1 threatening to kill Josephine Murray on February 15.

CONVICTED AND DISCHARGED Euphemia Sadler, aged 47, a housewife, wa ’ con¥i S t 'A„ an ?, discharged on three charges of forging Social Security family benefit orders at Lyttelton. She pleaded not guilty and was represented by Mr M. J. ®u®She was ordered to make restitution of £9.

(Before Mr E. S. J. Crutchley, S.M.) BURGLARY DENIED A charge of burglary against Geoffrey Laurence Richards, aged 28, a storeman (Mr B. J. Drake), was dismissed. Richards pleaded not guilty. Raymond Eder " e occupied a flat at 44 street. He was out between 630 p.m. and 8.45 p.m. on November 29, and when he returned he found his door had been forced. A cash box containing a diary and a cheque b Graham Rowlands said he was at present serving a six months’ prison sentence for burgling the pr*™*®®® ,°J “ Tennyson street. He said he entered Eder’s flat by a window and took the cheque book. Detective-Sergeant A. w. Hedwig, of Nelson, said Richards told him he had watched to see that Eder did not return and catch Rowlands denied keeping watch for Rowlands. He said he could not see Tennyson street from his flat and he did not know what Rowlands had been doing. The Magistrate said he accepted Detective-Sergeant Hedwig’s evidence but Eder s evidence as to the state of the door or the window was faulty and there was some doubt whether the premises were broken into.

(Before Mr K. H. J. Headifen, S.M.)

CHARGES ADJOURNED Six charges of Importing without a licence against K. F. Meates and Company, Ltd., were adjourned to April 30 at the request of Mr N. R. Morgan, who appeared for the Customs Department. FINED £2O A fine of £2O was Imposed on John R. J. WHllams on a charge of failing to -comply with a notice to repair a property on or about September 15. A plea of guilty was entered by Mr B. S. McLoughlin. HYDATIDS CHARGE Charged with allowing dogs access to raw offal at Okulti Valley on October 30, Norman Charles Butler was fined £l2. Butler did not appear.