Youths Threaten Fendalton Widow

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31261, 6 January 1967, Page 1

Youths Threaten Fendalton Widow

Detectives are seeking a group of teen-agers, one a girl, who entered the home of a Fendalton widow late on New Year’s Eve and demanded and received liquor and supper by threatening to stab her.

The widow, Mrs W. H. Kelman, of 72 Garden road, said yesterday that a detective had told her the police believed the group was part of a Christchurch gang which had been involved in other unsavoury incidents recently.

Mrs Kelman said that the group, all members of which were unknown to her, told her she would come to no harm if she did not tell the police, demanded liquor, and said they would stab her if she did not comply. However, no knife was shown to her.

Mrs Kelman said that about 11.45 p.m. on New Year’s Eve she was alone in the kitehen of her home clearing up before going to a friend’s home when she felt that someone was looking at her. She turned and saw a youth standing in the doorway con-

necting the kitchen and living-room.

Her daughter, at the time, was away at a party with her fiance, and her son was away on holiday. “When I asked him what he wanted, he said, ‘We won’t harm you if you don't tell the police.’ He then told me to do what I was told or I would be knifed, and he demanded ‘grog’,” Mrs Kelman said. She said she looked past him into the living-room and saw about seven youths and a girl seated there, making themselves quite at home. Mrs Kelman said her first reaction to the demand was one of being stunned, but she thought it best to go along with them, and poured them some beer. “Later I made them some coffee and gave them some-

thing to eat, but when 1 couldn’t stand it any longer I sneaked out to my car and went round to my friends. “However, the friends had moved on, so I went to a telephone box to ring the police, but had no money. “I then thought what a fool I had been, as I had left them in the house and there was all our property still there, including things belonging to my daughter, who had just returned from overseas.

“I went back, but they had gone. They hadn’t finished the beer, but they had taken some cigarettes, cigars, and some chocolate,” Mrs Kelman said. As the telephone book at her home was missing, she rang another friend, who telephoned the police.

Mrs Kelman said there were broken bottles on the road where those in the group had parked their car, and the police took from her home a number of bottles which the group had handled. The youth whom she had first seen was obviously the leader, she said. He dominated her and the group. Though he was wearing blue denim trousers and jacket he was nicely spoken, and did not have long hair.

“For the whole time I was with them I was thinking how incredible it was that they could just walk in and take charge like that. I've not been the same since. I’m still very distressed, and each night I now lock the Whole house up,” she said.

The C. 1.8. said last night that investigations were continuing.