Magistrate's Court Youth For Sentence On Three Charges

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30724, 13 April 1965, Page 20

Magistrate's Court Youth For Sentence On Three Charges

Ronald Noel McConchie, aged 17, a workman, was remanded on bail to April 14 for sentence on three charges when he appeared before Mr E. A. Lee, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. He pleaded guilty to charges of trespassing on the property of Woolworths (N.Z.), Ltd., at New Brighton on December 26, being drunk and disorderly in Lichfield street on March 4, and carrying an offensive weapon on March 4. Sergeant V. F. Townshend said that at 9 p.m. on December 26 the New Brighton shop of Woolworths was closed and all the customers had left by 9.5 p.m. McConchie remained in the shop talking to a female member of the staff. He was asked to leave six times and wait outside, but he kept delaying his departure by arguing. When he got to the doorway he stood there and the door could not be closed. He had been asked to leave the shop on numerous occasions but had persisted in returning.

Of the charge of being drunk and disorderly, Sergeant Townshend said that at 2.30 a.m. on March 4 McConchie was seen in Lichfield street outside the 77 Club by a constable. He took hold of a rubbish tin and threw it into the road, spilling the contents. He did the same with another rubbish tin. He was unsteady on his feet, and when asked for an explanation he said he was in a funny mood. The accused said he had been drinking whisky or vodka. When McConchie was searched at the police station a knife was found in his trouser pocket. He said he needed it for his own protection because of the rough crowd “he got around with at the local coffee club.” He had been carrying it for four months, but had never used it. The Magistrate made an order for the confiscation of the knife. ASSAULT W’alter Desmond Wesley, aged 35, a drainlayer (Mr M. G. L. Loughnan), was convicted and remanded on bail to April 14 for sentence, on a charge of assaulting May Irene Payne, aged 36, a married woman, on April 9. He pleaded not guilty. The Magistrate said he was completely unsatisfied by the accused’s denials. It was impossible not to accept the evidence , that an assault had taken place. ■ INDECENT ACT

On a charge of committing an indecent act in Park terrace, a man, whose name was suppressed, was fined £25. Mr L. M. O’Reilly, for the accused, said that there was a medical and domestic background to the offence. He was never likely to offend again. The Magistrate said he made an order for suppression of name with great reluctance. ILLEGAL LOTTERY On a charge of conducting an illegal lottery for oysters in the Royal George Hotel on April 3, Ronald Stewart, aged 35, a cleaner, was convicted and fined £2O. He pleaded guilty. OBSCENE LANGUAGE William Alan Dennett, aged 21, a butcher, was fined £lO on a charge of using obscene language at Lyttelton on April 10. Sergeant Townshend said that at 6.15 p.m. on April 10 the police were called to a disturbance at the Lyttelton railway station. The guard asked that Dennett be removed from a train which was about to leave, because of his language. Dennett and another youth were being questioned by the police on the platform when the accused jumped on to the train. His friend stood on the step and prevented the police from boarding the train. Dennett got off the other side and ran off. When captured he resisted violently and had to be restrained. He had previous convictions, said Sergeant Townshend. A charge against Dennett of disorderly behaviour in Manchester street on April 3 was dismissed. He pleaded not guilty. STOLE CAR PARTS

“At the time you committed the theft you were earning nearly £2O a week, and if you are tempted to commit theft because you are committed so heavily for the purchase of a car then you will have to be prevented from driving,” the Magistrate said when he fined Douglas Barry Borton, aged 19, a workman, £l2 10s and cancelled his driver's licence for one year. Borton was appearing for sentence for stealing car parts, valued at £6 13s 6d, the property of Riccarton Car Sales, Ltd., on March 28. OBSCENE LANGUAGE

Lorraine Carroll Barbarich, aged 18, unemployed, was admitted to probation for one year and was ordered to live where directed by the probation officer when she appeared for sentence on a charge of using obscene language in Sullivan avenue on April 4. ILLEGAL TICKETS On a charge of being in possession of four illegal lottery tickets on April 3. Noel Richard Prangnell, aged 17, a driver, was convicted and fined £5. He pleaded guilty. UNLAWFULLY IN CAR Alan Rupuka Thompson, aged 18, an apprentice carpenter. was convicted and fined £lO on a charge of unlawfully getting into a car on April 11. He pleaded guilty. LIQUOR OFFENCES On a charge of being a minor drinking liquor in Lichfield street on January 31, Joceline Olive Franklin, aged 18, a factory hand v was con”ictp(l and fined £3 *

William James Rodgers, aged 17, an apprentice, was fined £5 on a charge of having liquor in a public place at New Brighton when a minor on February 27. James Douglas Wingham, aged 18, a boiler-maker apprentice, was fined £5 for drinking liquor in a public place when a minor, and £lO for throwing glass in a public place at New Brighton on February 27. LIQUOR AT DANCE Colin Arthur Merewether. aged 21, a freezing worker, was convicted and fined £5 on I a charge of having liquor near a dance on March 12. NAME SUPPRESSED A girl, whose name was sup- 1 pressed, was convicted and reimanded on bail to April 14 for sentence on a charge of theft of bedding valued at £5! between September 7 and September 16. She pleaded guilty. FOUND DRUNK Harold Dickinson, aged 65, i was convicted and fined £2, in default three days’ imprisonment, on a charge of being found drunk in Seaview I road on April 10, having pre-! viously been convicted of drunkenness within the last six months. He pleaded guilty. REMANDED Andrew Dalziel McDougall, aged 62, a freezing worker, was remanded on bail to April 15 on a charge of driving in Waterloo road on April 3 under the influence of drink or drugs. Robert James Stuthridge, aged 31, a workman, was remanded on bail to April 15 on a charge of driving under the influence of drink or drugs on April 9. John Harold McDiamid. aged 61, a storeman, was remanded on bail to April 29 on a charge of driving under the influence of drink or drugs in Manchester street on April 10. Barry George Crayford, aged 22, was remanded on bail to April 26 on a charge of ship desertion at Napier. (Before Mr H. J. Evans, S.M.) DECISION RESERVED

Stephen James Bird, aged 24, a contractor (Mr C. B. ! Atkinson), was charged with | the theft of £lO6, the property of Shirley Joy Goodwin, and with fraudulently using £l5 received from Nora Gertrude Edna Robb. On iboth charges he elected trial by jury. After depositions j had been taken, the Magistrate reserved his decision and remanded Bird on bail to this morning.

Shirley Joy Goodwin, aged 19, a machinist, said that several months earlier Bird took her to the Post Office Savings Bank and showed her how to withdraw money she had saved since she was under the care of the Child Welfare Division. Bird told her it would be safer in a trust fund. She signed a paper, and Bird said he would pay her interest on the money.

Margaret Rea Caverhill, a child welfare officer, said that Bird telephoned her on February 24 and said he had placed the money in a trust fund run by his firm, and operated by his accountant. The girl’s relatives had already taken large sums from her, Bird said, and he felt her interests would be better safeguarded by him. Stanley Edward Field, a public accountant, said that from January 18 to February 16 he was accountant for Bird, who ran a contracting business, Birdworks (N.Z.), Ltd. On February 4, Bird handed him £66 10s and a cheque for about £6O, to be paid into his business account. At no time did he mention any trust moneys. Detective Constable T. O. Tozer said that Bird admitted that the money he had given to his accountant was part of the sum he received from Goodwin. Another £3O had been used to pay fees for the registration of his company.

The witness told Mr Atkinson that he interviewed Bird at the police station from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on February 25. During this time Bird was not under arrest, and he cau-

tioned him only when he ar rested him.

Bird said he had understood from his accountant that if he received a deposit for work in progress he was acting as a trustee. He had regarded the arrangement with Goodwin as the same thing. He told the Magistrate that he telephoned the Child Welfare Division only because it wanted Goodwin's bank book returned.

Nora Gertrude Edna Robb, a housewife, said that while she was employed by Bird as la shop assistant she gave him ,£l5 to pay three accounts for [her. Later she found that the accounts had not been paid. Bird returned the money to [her when she left her job. 1 Detective Constable Tozer [said that Bird, when quesi tioned, claimed he had given 'the money to an employee I named Clark and told him to [pay the accounts. I The accused was on bail when he questioned him. Defective Constable Tozer told [Mr Atkinson, and he had not [considered it necessary to warn him on this occasion, I either. ! Allan Brian Clark, a carpenter, denied that he had ever been given accounts to pay when he was working for Bird. Mr Atkinson submitted that on both charges there was insufficient evidence for a jury to convict. He also submitted that Detective Constable Tozer’s evidence was inadmissible. On both occasions his questionings were not to enable him to make an arrest, but to elicit further information, he said.