MAGISTRATE’S COURT Committed For Trial On Conspiracy Charge

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31075, 2 June 1966, Page 16

MAGISTRATE’S COURT Committed For Trial On Conspiracy Charge

Gregory Joseph Kane, aged 45, a company manager, was committed for trial in the Supreme Court by Messrs W. H. Small and L. H. Petrie, Justices of the Peace, in the Magistrate's Court yesterday after depositions had been taken. Kane pleaded not guilty to a charge of attempting to defeat the course of justice by preparing a false account of ! the circumstances under which Clive Bruce Topping was injured at 84 Orbell street, by instructing Adrian George Adams and Clive Leslie Victor Irvine to supply a false account to the police in connexion with the crime of injuring with intent. Kane was represented by Mr D. H. Stringer. Topping, aged 17, said that before April 17 he was staying at Kane's boarding-house at 84 Orbell street. He was unemployed but was helping Kane with painting. There was ill feeling between Irvine and himself, and Kane and Adams because of the preferential treatment given by Kane to Adams. On April 16 he and Irvine went to a dance and arrived home about 3 a.m. On April 17

Adams and Kane came into their room and there was an argument about meals. Topping said that he and Adams began to fight and Kane moved between them and pushed Adams out the door. Adams came back and while they were fighting Adams drew out a pocket knife with a 2Jin blade. They were grappling on the floor when Topping suffered a cut on his back. Irvine helped witness get the knife out of Adams’s hand. Later Adams picked up the knife and stabbed him in the chest, Topping said. Witness was bleeding and he asked Kane to drive him to the hospital. He began walking to the hospital when a man from a security firm came along in a van. Kane drove his car out of the drive and when he saw witness talking to the man he drove back up the drive. The security man drove witness to hospital. Kane, Irvine, Adams and himself were in the room when the stabbing incident took place. Adams, aged 17, said he was in Borstal serving a term for injuring Topping with intent. He had lived at Kane's board-ing-house for about two months. The other boarders only got breakfast but he had

lunch and tea as well. This caused some arguments. After he had stabbed Topping he became scared, ran out of the room and threw the knife away, witness said. Kane told Irvine to tell the police that he (Irvine) was out of the room when the stabbing occurred. Kane had said that he would tell the police that Topping suffered his injuries by falling on the knife.

Witness said Irvine would not agree and Kane threatened to inform about burglaries. Kane asked witness to tell the same story and he agreed to do so because he had had a few drinks. Later he told the police the correct story. Sergeant E. J. Nevin said he went to 84 Orbell street at 3.35 a.m. on April 17. Kane said that he was afraid he could not help him as he was out of the room when the stabbing took place. Detective T. O. Tozer said

he interviewed Adams and Irvine about the stabbing at

84 Orbell street and because of what they told him he had difficulty in making inquiries. It was not until seven hours later that he learned the facts.

Kane was evasive when

questioned and said he was not present when the stabbing occurred. When told that he had pushed Adams from the room Kane had replied: “That’s a lot of rot. I did no such thing.”

Detective-Sergeant N. J. Stokes said he warned Kane to tell the truth and he admitted that he was in the room when the fight occurred. He had said that the first time he had seen the knife was when it was lying on the floor after Topping had complained that he had been stabbed. Kane denied telling the police he was not there when the stabbing happened, De-tective-Sergeant Stokes said. Kane was granted bail. COMMITTED FOR TRIAL A young man. whose name was suppressed, was committed for trial on a charge of raping a girl, aged 15, at the Pleasant point Domain, about 9 a.m. on April 27. He pleaded not guilty and was represented by Mr M G. L. Loughnan. Accused was granted bail. (Before Mr K. H. J. Headlfen, S.M.) REMANDED Harold Paul Merritt, aged 36, was remanded in custody to June 9 on a charge of theft as a servant of £6350, the property of Trans Tours (N.Z.), Ltd. Mr H. J. B. Quigley, who appeared for Merritt, applied for ba®. He said Merritt had his

home in Christchurch and had two children.

Sergeant V. F. Townshend said the police strenuously opposed bail. Merritt had deserted his wife and children and was apprehended in Australia. The Magistrate refused to grant bail. DRUNKENNESS Charged with being found drunk in the foyer of the Christchurch Hospital on June 1, having been three times previously convicted of drunkenness within the last six months, John Francis Roche, aged 62, a painter and paperhanger, was convicted and fined £3. He pleaded guilty. Hugh Menzies McDonald, aged 50, a marine engineer, was convicted and fined £3 when he appeared on a charge of being drunk in Oxford terrace on May 31, having been previously convicted of drunkenness on February 28 and May 16. He pleaded guilty. ■NOT GUILTY PLEA Charged with failing to keep to the left on State Highway No. 7 between the Hurunui Hotel and Waikari on October 16. Brian John Duncan, aged 22, unemployed (Mr R. L. Kerr), was convicted and fined £4. He pleaded not guilty. TRAFFIC PROSECUTIONS In other traffic prosecutions brought by the Transport Department convictions were entered and fines imposed as follows: Exceeded 30 miles an hour: Phillip Walter Hobbs, £6; Avian Levy Peach, £3: Murray Robert Hoskilng, £7; Peter Allan Keep. £10; Lorene Isobel Caroline Smith, £l2, ordered to attend course of traffic lectures; John Garrett Scott, £8; Alexander John Wyliliie £l5; Anthony Adey

£5; Jan Keith McKain, £5: Elizabeth Constance Sinclair, £5; Leonard James Walker, £8: Warwick Andrew Ison, £5 (exceeded 30 miles an hour without safety helmet, £4): Warwick Robert Anderson, £5; John Terrence Dociterty, £6; Gary John Duncan, £6: Joseph W’Uiiam Harlock £6; Bryan George Hart. £5: Joseph Howard, £6: Donald Stevenson McLennan, £8: Dianne Elizabeth Richardson. £5; Edward Patrick Roughan, £6: Edward John Veale, £7; Eric Herbert John Wellbourn, £8; Walter Roy Beresford. £5: Leigh Lionel Stewart Brown, £5; Norman Charman, £3; Winston George Gifkins. £6: Francis Archibald Hartley, £6; Philip Charles Myhre, £5; Janet Norma Nutt, £5; lan Leslie Stewart. £8; Eunice Patricia Sutherland £3: Edward Steven Tay’.or. £5 (failed to produce driver’s licence, £4); Donald Walter Whitworth. £3; Julie Ann Boyd £5: Thomas Frank Crerar, £8: Edward Frank Emery, £5; George Edgar Boucher Honev £7: Hellen Christine Kerr. £7; Robert McAMister, £5; David Leonard Mitchell, £8: James Christian Fairbairn Scott, £3Roger Senior. £3; John Kay West, £5; Gavin Thomas Mathew Wills, £8; Ross Peter Dering, £5 (noisy vehicle, £3); Douglas Gilmore Donaldson, £5.

Failed to stop at compulsory stop: Victor Oscar Blom. £5; Philip Hodgson, £7; Frank Gregory Ledtngham, £8; Anthony Walter Robinson, £6; Robert Rennie Shirreffs, £6; Peter Floras, £6; Douglas Spencer Brown, £8 (failed to produce driver’s licence, £4); Brendin Peter McCartin, £6.

No warrant of fitness: John Carnac Morris. £4; Alan Vincent Bond, £4 (noisy vehicle, £6): Paul Collier, £10: John Robinson. £4: Augusta Watts, £3 (no safety chain on trailer. £2).

Failed to comply with traffic lights': Joyce Haswell! McFarlane. £8; Hamiish John Nimmo, £B. dis qualified for one month from June 8: Christopher Charles Rose, £6, ordered to attend traffic lectures: Lindsay MacLaren. £B.

Insufficient lights: Henorik Cornelius De Boer, £l2: Robert Christopher Attwell, £5; Lawrence Charles Dann, £5; Lorrin Newton, £6.

No driver’s licence: John Fridd, £8; Peter Graeme Inder, £6, disqualified for three months from June 8. Rode on footpath: Gloria Francis Pugh. £3; Graham Ricard Moore, £l. Exceeded 55 miles an hour: Raymond William Thomson. £8; Stewart William Minson, £B. Careless use: Trevor Gordon

Lester, £5; Kevin John Forbes, £B. Failed to give way: Thomas Charles Ragg. £4: Henry Alfred Holmes. £6; Constance Agnes Scott Hutton. £B. Drove without reasonable consideration: David Russell Pachmatz, £6; Francis Gilbert, £5. Failed to give way: Thomas Barr, £B. Failed to produce driver’s licence: Peter William Judd, £5. Exceeded 40 miles an hour with trailer: Edward Gerald Fitzpatrick. £B. Failed to give way at giveway sign: William Robin McKinney, £lO. Permitted unlicensed person to drive: Max George Howard. £4. Failed to carry heavy-traffic licence: Hewitt Bros., £6. Gave false information: Garth Stewart Hegan, £5. Wrong class of driver's licence: David Thomas Farrell. £4. Exceeded heavy-traffic licence: British Pavements (Canterbury), Ltd., £6, Failed to stop for school patrol: Angus Henry Mclver, £lO. (Before Mr E. S. J. Crutchley. S.M.) FAILED TO GIVE WAY Howard Frederick Moses, aged 17, a student, was convicted and fined £4, and ordered to display an L sticker for three months when he pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to give way to the right. Moses was represented by Mr M. J. Glue. The order to display an L sticker was made under an amendment of the Motor Drivers’ Regulations, which came into force yesterday. CARELESS USE Brett Lucain Jeremy Haselden, aged 18, a farmer, was convicted and fined £lO on a charge of careless use of a vehicle in Ferry road on February 25. He pleaded guilty, and was represented by Mr J. B. Loughnan. CHARGE DISMISSED A charge of theft against Olive Gay Heinz, aged 53, a machinist, was dismissed. On April 16 Heinz, who pleaded not guilty and was represented by Mr R. G. Blunt, chose food valued at £1 6s 7d at the New Brighton branch of Woolworths, and passed through the check out counter without showing the goods to the assistant. The Magistrate accepted the explanation that Heinz had forgotten she had the goods in her bag.