MAGISTRATE'S COURT Four Months’ Gaol For Theft Of £l50

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30592, 7 November 1964, Page 21

MAGISTRATE'S COURT Four Months’ Gaol For Theft Of £l50

Four months’ imprisonment was imposed on Eardley George Lomey, aged 22, a workman, when he appeared for sentence before Mr E. S. J. Crutchley, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday on a charge of stealing £l5O, the property of Elizabeth Jane Bradley, on October 28. For the accused, Mr L. M. O’Reilly said that Lomey had had a poor start in life. Although he had a bad record he was getting married in February, and this would have a settling influence on him. CARNAL KNOWLEDGE Mervyn Raymond Watts, aged 18, a process worker, was fined £25 when he appeared for sentence on a charge of unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl aged 13 years nine months on October 3. Asking that a fine be imposed, the accused’s counsel, Mr J. F. Burn, said that Watts was a good worker, and his appearance in court had been a severe shock to him. A request for suppression of name was refused. FIGHTING Telling George John Bryenton, aged 23, a workman, to mind his own business in future, the Magistrate fined him £5. Bryenton was appearing for sentence on a charge of fighting in a public place on October 31. The Magstrate said that looking at the accused’s list inspired only despair, but the accused had been making a good effort since he was last released from prison. Also, he said the accused came off second-best in the fight.

FINED £lO Telling Trevor John Duncan McLaren, aged 26, that it was about time he grew up to his responsibilities, the Magistrate fined him £lO on a charge of disorderly behaviour on November 1. McLaren was appearing for sentence. CHARGE DISMISSED A charge of stealing two pairs of stockings, valued at £1 2s 6d, from McKenzies, Ltd., on October 9, against Evelyn Amelia Keech, aged 53, a housewife, was dismissed. The accused (Mr P. H. T. Alpers) pleaded not guilty when the case was partheard on Thursday. REMANDED Dimitrios Feikopoulos, aged 24, a seaman, and Fratzeskos Maurogiannis. aged 26, a seaman, were remanded in custody until December 4 on a charge of unlawfully landing in New Zealand on September 19. Senior-Sergeant G. M. Cleary said that the two men had already been dealt with on the charge but a further remand was necessary until they could be deported. Charged with false pretences at Invercargill on January 29, Kevin Wilson Hillis, aged 27, a driver, was remanded in custody until November 12. Gordon Alfred Brown, aged 21, a workman, was remanded on bail until November 12 on charges of assault and obstruction of a police officer on November 5. (Before Mr K. H. J. Headifen, S.M.) CARELESS USE CAUSING DEATH A plea of not guilty to a charge of careless driving causing the death of William Robert Cleave, on August 14, was entered by Margaret Hay Acton-Adams (Mr P. T. Mahon). She was convicted and fined £8 and ordered to pay £5 15s witnesses’ expenses. Michael Watson, a public accountant, said that he was driving in Moorhouse avenue and saw the accident. He estimated the speed of the utility vehicle driven by the defendant as about 25 miles an hour. Cleave, on a powercycle, was travelling 15 to 20 miles an hour. Neither vehicle slowed nor swerved. Cleave landed on his head and shoulder on the road after the impact. He was thrown about 12ft. The weather was good.

Mo Mr Mahon the witness said he felt the utility vehicle was not travelling at an unreasonable speed. In evidence the defendant said she stopped at the intersection, saw nothing on her right, and moved off in low gear. The next thing she knew was a power-cycle colliding with the right front of her vehicle. She was travelling less than 10 miles an hour at the time of the collision. She said she thought the power-cyclist had been in the right-hand turn lane. Corroborative evidence was given by Lorna Sandeman and Jane Acton-Adams, passengers in the defendant’s vehicle. The fact that the defendant did not see the powercycle implied some negligence, the Magistrate said. The Court was not permitted to take into account whether the driver was experienced or not. However, he did not consider that the defendant had failed in any other duty, nor that the degree of carelessness was very great. THREW CRACKER Pleading guilty to a charge of disorderly behaviour—throwing a fire cracker at a constable in Marine parade on November s—Graham Noel Frank Hanham, aged 18, a french polisher, was fined £5. Senior-Sergeant Cleary said that about 9.30 p.m. two constables saw youths throwing crackers under parked cars. They spoke to Hanham, and explained that it was a dangerous practice, as there might be petrol under the cars. A few minutes later they again saw Hanham throwing crackers under cars and warned him he would be arrested if he did not behave himself. A few minutes later Hanham threw a cracker at one of the constables. It hit

him and exploded at his feet. Hanham said that he did not throw the cracker at the constable intentionally, and maintained that it did not hit him. FINED FOR ASSAULT On a charge of assaulting a woman on November 1, Singapore Finau, aged 22, a soldier (Mr G. R. Lascelles), was fined £4. Finau pleaded not guilty. The Magistrate said it was only a technical assault. TRAFFIC CASES In traffic cases brought by the police, convictions were entered and fines imposed as follows: Failing to give way: Frederick William Mercer, £6; Edward Arthur Sewell, £6; Kathleen Marewa Climie, £5: Charles D'Orville Hall, £6; William Edgerton Knight, £6; Calvin Trevor Russell, £6; Frank Blundell Wright, £5. Inconsiderate driving: David George Ellis, £7; Murray Gordon Godfrey, £7 (no driver’s licence, £3); Lawrence Nell Houghton, £7 (no driver’s licence, £5). Exceeding 30 miles an hour: John Robert Smith, two charges, £4 on each; Ronald John Coulston, £7. Opening car door in manner likely to cause injury: James Joseph Kerr, £3. Careless use: Richard Michael Henry Berry. £8; Colin Michael Christian, £8; John Anthony Stevenson, £5. Failing to give way at sign: Alexander Gray, £5.