Fined For Transmitting False Distress Message

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31091, 21 June 1966, Page 8

Fined For Transmitting False Distress Message

Brace BeddHtn, aged 30, a grocer (Mr R. G. Blunt), pleaded guilty in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday to charges that on April 3 at tbe Watauriri Bear* Gotf Club he transmitted false distrees signals on a radio and that he used obscene, profane and offensive language on a radio. He was convicted and fined £2O on each charge by Mr E. A. Lee, SM. Sergeant V. F. Townshend said that as the result of a complaint of false distress signals and obscene language two New Brighton constables had gone to the golf club. Beckham was interviewed and admitted that he did not hold a Post Office licence to operate the transceiver in his possession. A tnost serious matter was the transmitting of the false distress signals which could have led to the mounting of a search and rescue operation. Beckham was shown a typewritten sheet of the language monitored on the radio and complained of . Mr Blunt said the transceivers were on loan to the dub to test the relaying of golf results. The sets were used about 400 to 500 yards apart,-and the people involved had had difficulty in hearing each other on what they had then thought was a type of closed circuit on which nobody else could listen. His client admitted using some of the language on the typewritten sheet. His dient had been most unfortunate that the police were monitoring the citizens’ band as a number of similar sets had been stolen a short time before and the police were looking for them. The mayday distress signals had been stupid words to use, but his dient had bad no idea that any other person could hear nor did he have the intention that any other person apart from his friends with the other transceiver should hear them, said Mr Blunt.

Mr Blunt said the suggestion that the distress signals could have led to the mounting of a search and rescue operation was to his way of thinking “fanciful,” though he conceded they could have caused an initial alarm. Beckham had had do intention to mislead people with the mayday signals and the incidents had arisen through his ignorance of toe operation of the transceivers, and he asked that Beckham’s name should be suppressed. The Magistrate said he thought that anybody that used that type of equipment would have made some inquiries as to the effective range and the fact that no such check had been made brought the matters into a serious category. He refused to make an order suppressing Beckham’s name.

Frank Shuter, aged 48, a motor mechanic (Mr R. G. Blunt), was also charged with transmitting obscene, profane and insulting language over a radio on April 3 at the Waimairi Beach Golf Club.

Mr Blunt, in asking for an adjournment to November 28, said that the case had previously been adjourned tor a hearing, but Shuter had left toe country after a fixture could not be arranged. Shuter would not be returning until some time in November, Mr Blunt said.

The charge was adjourned to November 28.