MAGISTRATE’S COURT Hid Stolen Property At Police Station

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31306, 28 February 1967, Page 10

MAGISTRATE’S COURT Hid Stolen Property At Police Station

After stealing a woman’s handbag from Shirley Lodge, a man hid some of its contents in the shrubbery outside the Central Police Station before he went in to bail out his brother, Mr E. S. J. Crutchley, S.M., was told in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Terrence McDonald, aged 26, a scrap metal dealer, pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing a handbag and contents, valued at £4O, the property of Dorothy Ruth Hobbs on February 20. He was remanded on bail to March 6 for sentence. Detective Sergeant A. B. Dalzell said an Australian woman and her husband were staying at Shirley Lodge on February 20. About 12.55 a.m. the woman saw an arm come through the window of her room and rummage through her husband’s clothing which was over a chair near the window. When the woman called to her husband McDonald grabbed her handbag from a table just inside the window and made off in a car which he had borrowed from a friend. McDonald was located at the Central Police Station where he had gone to bail out his brother. He denied being at Shirley Lodge, but when the car he was using was searched articles belonging to the complainant were found in it. After dawn on February 20 other property, including Australian currency, a cheque book and sunglasses, were found in the shrubbery at the front of the station. McDonald had a number of previous convictions. Restitution of £6 12s was asked for, DetectiveSergeant Dalzell said. YEAR'S IMPRISONMENT “If you behave like this, you can be considered one of the lowest forms of human being,” said the Magistrate in convicting William Frederick Murphy, aged 25, a railway worker. Murphy was appearing for sentence on a charge of attempting sexual intercourse with a girl between 12 and 16 and also on a charge of indecently assaulting a girl aged 10. Both offences occurred at Lyttelton between January 1 and February 2. He was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment on each charge. The Magistrate said he would leave the question of deportation to the Minister. SEVEN DAYS’ GAOL Dennis Joseph Holland, aged 23, an unemployed labourer, was sentenced to seven days’ imprisonment on a charge of assault. Holland, who was not represented by counsel, was appearing for sentence. “You have two previous convictions for assault as well as ones for fighting and resisting the police,” said the Magistrate. "Throughout this affair you acted without any justification. If what you told the probation officer is true you did come in for some abrupt handling but you have only yourself to blame.” PROBATION AND £5O FINE John William King, aged 20, a painter, was admitted to probation for 18 months and was fined £5O when he appeared for sentence on a charge of burglary at Invercargill on October 26. Mr G. T. Mahon, for the accused, said King had a fairly formidable list of convictions and the present offence had been committed after his release from Borstal. Recently he had made an effort to reform and was not a hopeless case. STRUCK FIANCEE Bernard Puau Hepl, aged 22. a carpenter, was convicted and fined £5 when he pleaded guilty to a charge of assaulting his fiancee, Rosalee Hume Payne, on February 26. For Hepi, Mr L. M. O’Reilly said his client and his fiancee were involved in an argument and his fiancee refused to keep quiet. "He struck her some blows about the face to quieten her,” he said. The Magistrate said he would consider that the defendant had "been baited” into committing the assault. IDLE AND DISORDERLY The defendant had been approached by a constable about 2.45 a.m. on February 27, and asked why he was standing by the men’s lavatories in Cathedral square, said DetectiveSergeant Dalzell, when John Wilson, aged 18, unemployed, pleaded guilty to being idle and disorderly. Wilson had said he had nowhere to go, no money to pay board, and "couldn’t be bothered working.” He had intended to walk the streets for the rest of the evening. The probation officer said that Wilson came to Christchurch from Mataura about two weeks and a half ago, after domestic discord. He had had a job in a wool store, but walked off after five minutes. Wilson was placed on probation for 18 months and ordered to reside and work as directed by the probation officer. STOLE RADIO Elizabeth Anne Johnston, aged 19, unemployed, pleaded guilty to stealing a transistor radio valued at £l2, the property of Her sister, Susan Barbara John, ston, on February 22. Detective-Sergeant Dalzell said that the defendant admitted taking the radio from her sister’s home when she was interviewed on February 24. She had not worked for some time, and was living with persons of bad repute. Johnston was remanded on bail until March 6 for a probation officer’s report and sentence. FINED £2O Daryl Tennyson Neate. aged 18, a clerk, was fined £2O and disqualified for one year when he appeared for sentence on a charge of causing the death of Alfred Eric Williams by carelessly using a motor vehicle on November 13. The Magistrate said that it was the duty of a driver to stay awake while at the wheel. Although there was a possibility that carbon monoxide gas had affected the defendant, there was not sufficient evidence to support this. FOUND ON PREMISES When the police were called to Hillview street on February 26 to investigate some youths behaving in a disorderly manner, a sound similar to that of a dog barking was heard. Michael Anthony John Brown

was found lying on the grass at 2 Hillview street, making the noises, and two constables were needed to drag him from the property, said Detective-Ser-geant Dalzell. Brown, aged 18, a machine operator, was fined £5 for being found unlawfully on enclosed premises. FINED £lO Peter Anthony Stiles, aged 26 a truck driver, was fined £lO for being found without lawful excuse in the enclosed yard of South Island Wreckers, Ltd., Haytons road, on February 26'. Stiles pleaded guilty. Detective-Sergeant A. B. Dalzell said that about 3 p.ni. on February 26, a Security Patrol saw two men on the premises. They had climbed through a hole in the fence. Stiles admitted to the police that he had been inside the yard. John Warren Huxford, aged 23, a watersider, was also convicted and fined £lO for being in the car wreckers’ yard on February 26 without lawful ex. cuse. He said he was looking for a car body and that if he found one suitable, then he intended to purchase it the next day. PROBATION Stuart Gary Akers, aged 18, a painter’s labourer, was placed on probation for one year when he appeared for sentence on a charge of assault. Akers’ counsel, Mr R. P. Thompson, said that the defendant’s early home life had contributed to the position he found himself in. He had been baited to a point by the complainants, and, although they were only schoolboys, were not disproportionate in size to the defendant. In conexion with the same set of circumstances, Wayne Donald Bates, aged 17, a salesman, was placed on probation for one year, when he appeared for sentence on a charge of assault on February 17. For Bates, Mr G. H. Stringer said the defendant had taken steps to improve his behaviour. 18 MONTHS’ PROBATION Maurice Joseph Christopher Martin, aged 18, a labourer, appeared for sentence on a charge of assaulting Kenneth Francis James on November 19. Martin was admitted to probation for 18 months aid was ordered to take out a prohibition order. After gate-crashing a barbecue at Coutts Island, Belfast, Martin drank another person’s beer and when the owner objected Martin knocked him unconscious. "If you cannot control yourself when you drink you should not touch liquor,” said the Magistrate. "You have a tendency towards violence when intoxicated. I will take into account that you have spent a week in custody.” "TRAGIC CASE’’ "The history of this case is somewhat tragic.” submitted Mr G. T. Mahon, counsel for Marion Rose Rowlands, aged 18, a presser, when Rowlands appeared for sentence cn two charges of theft from Hay’s, Ltd., Sydenham, on January 13 and January 24. Mr Mahon said that since an early age, Rowlands had shown tendencies towards dishonesty and flights of fancy which no doubt had roots m psychiatric disorder. There were 10 children in the family, and there was a perpetual shortage of funds. Rowlands was fined £5 on each charge and placed on probation for 18 months, and ordered to take medical or other treatment as directed. ASSAULT John Patrick Watson, aged 23. a factory worker, was convicted and fined £lO when he pleaded guilty to a charge of assaulting Chung Mo Gee at the Asia Cafe on February 26. Watson said he assaulted the complainant over the price of a meal, which he considered to be excessive. OBSTRUCTED POLICE John Drummond, aged 18, a contractor’s labourer, was convicted and fined £l5 when he pleaded guilty to obstructing the police in Hillview street on February 26. He was not represented.

s ASSAULTED DAUGHTER ’ "It is largely a domestic -' matter, but you had no right “ to use this force on your - daughter,” said the Magistrate to Douglas Neame, aged 40, a a factory hand. jj Neame was appearing for sen--1 tence on a charge of assaulting bis daughter on February 17. He was fined £l5. SHOPLIFTING r A woman, whose name was > suppressed, was fined £5 on a f charge of stealing groceries , valued at 18s 4d from the Sydl. enham shop of Self-Help. She pleaded not guilty but was con- - victed. Mr M. J. Glue appeared n for the defendant. I LIQUOR CHARGES a Other charges, with fines imposed (court costs £1 10s on each charge) were: „ Minor purchased liquor: Paul e Hill, £lO. , Supplied liquor to minor: “ Peter Colin Mangos, £2. g (Before Mr H. J. Evans, S.M.) n FINED £75 Aubrey Noel Riley, aged 39, a a watersider, was fined £75. d ordered to make restitution of d £276 and put on probation for 18 months when he appeared for sentence on a charge of theft by misappropriation, of I, £278 14s which he was required d to pay into the Lyttelton Post n Office on behalf of the "Happy a Six Club.” The Magistrate said the pro- ’. bation officer s report disclosed I- that Riley had spent the money i- on drinking, gambling and e household accounts.