MAGISTRATE’S COURT Five Seamen Convicted After Port Incidents

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31256, 31 December 1966, Page 14

MAGISTRATE’S COURT Five Seamen Convicted After Port Incidents

Five seamen from the Port Lincoln appeared in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday before Mr K. H. J. Headifen, S.M„ charged with offences at Lyttelton on Christmas night. James Worrall, aged 17, and Michael Hibbitt, aged 18, pleaded guilty to a joint charge that they broke out of an area belonging to the Union Steam Ship Company, Ltdafter having entered the property with intent to commit a crime. Each was convicted and fined £lO, and ordered to pay £lO restitution. Hibbitt also pleaded guilty to charges of driving without a licence, driving in a manner which might have been dangerous, and two charges of unlawfully taking a truck, valued at £2OOO, belonging to Rhinds Transport, Ltd. For driving without a licence he was discharged, and for driving in a possibly dangerous manner he was fined £l5 and disqualified for one year. On one charge of unlawful taking he was discharged after conviction, and on the other he was fined £l5 and ordered to pay restitution of £166 16s.

Worrall also pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawfully taking a truck. He was convicted and fined £l5 and ordered to pay restitution of £166 16s. Detective-Sergeant D. Porteous said that about 12.40 a.m. on December 26 the two climbed over a fence surrounding a Union Steam Ship Company area. Hibbitt started a truck and drove through the gates of the compound. With Worrall as passenger the truck was driven erratically on to No. 6 wharf.

There it hit a building. A

watchman’s attempt to flag it down failed, and the truck was driven up Oxford street. On this very steep street it rolled back into a garage, almost demolishing it and damaging the car parked in it George Michael Bell, aged 17, Reginald Jarards Laaming, aged 19, and Terrance Geoffrey McClusky, aged 27, each pleaded guilty to charges of unlawfully getting into a car at Lyttelton. Each was convicted and fined £l. Detective-Sergeant Porteous said that late on Christmas Day the three accused opened the boot of one car and then got into another. Mr N. H. Buchanan, who appeared for each of the accused, said that some of the responsibility lay with, senior ratings on the vessel who had- pressed liquor on the youths. BURGLARY James Tuhikarama, aged 26. an unemployed sheet-metal worker (Mr D. H. Stringer), pleaded guilty to a charge that on December 28 he broke and entered a house at 400 Madras street. He was convicted and remanded till January 6 In custodv for sentence. Detective Sergeant Porteous said that early on December 28 a woman informed the police that she had disturbed a burglar who had made off with a wallet containing til and a pair of trousers. About 45 minutes after the burglary police saw the accused returning home. However, he made off, but a police dog tracked him to his home. "Tuhikarama has about 35 convictions for similar offences,” he said. DISQUALIFIED DRIVER Kevin McKenzie Whelan, aged 18, a labourer (Mr M. J. Glue), pleaded guilty to a charge that on December 9 he drove while disqualified. He was convicted, fined £5O, placed on probation for 12 months, and disqualified for 12 months from the date of expiry of his existing cancellation in January, 1968. WILFUL DAMAGE Lawrence James Cummins, a sawmiller, pleaded guilty to a charge that on December 29 he wilfully damaged a smoker’s pipe to the value of £4, the property of Detective Sergeant B. I. S. Kimber, and that he used obscene language within the hearing of Chester street. He was convicted, fined £l5 on each charge, and ordered to pay restitution of £4 for damage to the pipe.

FALSE MESSAGE “This is a despicable way of getting in contact with anyone,” the Magistrate told May Irene Payne when fining her £4 for wilfully giving a fictitious telephone message. Payne, aged 37, a housewife (Mr S. G. Erber), pleaded guilty. Detective Sergeant Porteous said that the accused telephoned the Central Police Station on October 2 and said that her young son had died. She wanted the police to get in touch with her husband.

She was crying and distressed. When a constable went to her house to say that her husband had been found and told of the child’s death, he found the child alive. , Mr Erber said that * the) accused was separated from her husband and was not receiving maintenance, and this was her way in getting in touch with him. She had had no prospects for a reasonably happy Christmas unless she received some money. OBSCENE EXPOSURE

“Because you have been in custody in one form or another for two months, you will be convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if required within six months,” the Magistrate told Michael Kevin Slack, aged 20, a factory worker. Slack pleaded guilty to a charge of obscene exposure on October 28. PROBATION A girl, whose name was suppressed, was placed on probation for two years on a charge of stealing £59 from her flatmate on December 22. For the girl, Mr M. J. Glue said that the crime appeared to be one of "attention-getting,” and was regretted shortly afterwards. FINED £BO John Ogilvy, aged 40, a plaster maker, pleaded guilty to a charge that on December 26 he drove on the Main South road under the Influence of drink or drugs. He was convicted, fined £BO, and disqualified for five years. The Magistrate said it was Ogilvy’s second offence since 1957. FINED £3O Kelvin Rana Russell, aged 17, an unemployed workman, pleaded guilty to a charge that on or about March 2 he had unlawful sexual intercourse with a girt aged between 12 and 16 years. He was convicted and fined £3O. TOOK CAR Walter Edward Rata, aged 17, a sawmill hand, pleaded guilty to a charge that on December 23 he unlawfully took a car valued at £9O, the property of Peter Conrad Shepherd, and to a charge of having no driver’s licence. On the first charge he was fined £l5 and ordered to pay restitution of £5. For having no driver’s licence he was fined £5 and disqualified for six months. PEEPED IN WINDOW A youth, whose name was suppressed, was convicted and remanded until January 6 for sentence when he pleaded guilty to a charge of peeping into a dwelling-house window while unlawfully on a property. Detective Sergeant Porteous said that the youth climbed over the fence of a property in Aldwlns road at 11 p.m. on December 27, and twice peeped through a lighted window. ASSAULTED WIFE Fredrick Rangikotua Kereopa, aged 35, a freezing worker, was fined £lO for assaulting his wife, Gale Annette Kereopa, on December 29. Kereopa pleaded guilty. BURGLARY Soon after the police were advised that the premises of United Fisheries, Ltd., in Sandyford street, had been broken into, Buddy William Brown and Charles Hippollte were apprehended and admitted searching the buildings for money, said Detective-Sergeant Porteous.

Brown, aged 18, and Hippolite, aged 17, both unemployed, pleaded guilty to breaking and entering the premises of United Fisheries on December 21 with intent to commit a crime, and to breaking and entering the premises of L. W. Warren, Ltd., Montreal afreet, on the same date.

They were represented by Mr P. F. Tempero. Detective-Sergeant Porteous said that nothing was missing from United Fisheries, but an electric shaver and a cash box containing £lO were taken from L. W. Warren, Ltd. The accused admitted taking the shaver, but said that a third person removed the cash box. Both were remanded in custody until January 8 for sentence. TRIAL ELECTED

Robert Edward Mayers, aged 20, a freezing worker (Mr B. J. Drake), elected trial by jury on a charge of breaking and entering the dwelling-house of Lloyd Glen Cook on December 15.

He was remanded on bail to January 18. DRIVERS UNDER INFLUENCE Arthur George Trood, aged 55, a market gardener, pleaded guilty to a charge of driving under the influence of drink or drugs at Heathcote on December 23. He was fined £5O and disqualified for three years. Robert Leonard Cox, aged 22. a freezing worker, pleaded guilty and was fined £5O and disqualified for three years for driving under the influence of drink or drugs at Kaiapoi on December 23.

Norman Chapman, aged 41, a shoemaker, pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of drink or drugs in Manchester street on December 27. He was fined £5O and disqualified tor three years. CREDIT BY FRAUD Arthur Alan Glassey, aged 50, a workman, pleaded guilty to a charge that on November 23 he obtained credit of 12s by fraud. He was convicted and fined £2. Detective Sergeant Porteous said that Glassey took a taxi to Opawa, and on arrival unsuccessfully tried to borrow money for the fare. OBSCENE LANGUAGE Bryan Douglas Tindall, aged 17, unemployed, pleaded guilty to a charge of using obscene language in Charles street, on December 24. He was convicted and fined £l5. WARRANT ISSUED When Anthony John Howard, aged 24, a carpenter’s labourer failed to appear on a charge of breaking and entering the premises of Victoria Furnishers in Victoria street on November 24, a warrant was issued for his arrest. REMANDED Joseph Fulop was remanded on bail to January 16 on a charge of unlawfully using an instrument with intent to procure a miscarriage on December 29. (Before Mr E. S. J. Crutchley, S.M.) INDECENT ASSAULT Charles Crichton, aged 56. a labourer, appeared for sentence on six charges of indecently assaulting two boys aged 13 on November 17 and 18. He was sentenced to two years’ concurrent imprisonment on each charge.