MAGISTRATE’S COURT Man Fined $30 For Stealing Bottles Of Milk

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31676, 11 May 1968, Page 20

MAGISTRATE’S COURT Man Fined $30 For Stealing Bottles Of Milk

“These may appear to be heavy fines, but it seems to bo that heavy penalties by the Court may be one way of preventing the occurrence of this type of offence, which is becoming too prevalent in the community,” Mr P. L. MoUaeanx, BJ(., said in the Magistrates Court yesterday when imposing fines totalling <3O on John Damien O’Cdiutoll on two charges of theft of a bottle of addc valued at 10 cento at Stoke on March 3. “There has been a lot of this trouble going on and it to causing the community and the police a good deal of concern. The offence is one difficult of detection. This was an set of irresponsible Vandaltom,” the Magistrate said. The defendant pleaded guilty to both charges. Harvey Ashworth, aged bl, a storeman, was convicted and flpad 330 and ordered to pay restitution of 20c on a charge of theft of two pint bottles of milk valued at 20 cents on May 4. He pleaded guilty: PINED. 3130 On charges of driving in Worcester Street on May 2 while under the influence of drink or drugs, and failing to stop after an accident in Bealey Avenue- on the same date, Neil Albert Harrison, aged 21, a freezing worker (Mr A. P.C. Tipping) was convicted and fined a total of 3130 and disqualified from driving for three years and three months. He pleaded guilty to both charges.

Sergeant A. D. Stevenson said the defendant struck the back of a car stopped for traffic lights in Bealey Avenue. He then reversed and drove away at speed. A few minutes later the defendant wu stopped in another part of the city and arrested on. a charge of driving under the influence of drink.

Mr Tipping said it was clear the defendant bad had far too much to drink, and was quite incapable of driving a motor vehicle. DISCHARGED

A woman, aged 77, whose name was suppreeeed, wa* discharged without conviction under section 42 of the Criminal Justice Act on a charge of theft of groceries valued at 59.95 on May ». She pleaded guilty. Sergeant Stevenson said the defendant placed a sheet of paper over groceries in ' her shopping trolley and paid only tor those items which were on top. - When her house was searched other groceries were found which had been taken from the shop that day without being paid for. The Magistrate said he took the unusual step of discharging the defendant and suppressing her name because of her age and previous good record. He made an order for the return of the stolen property. second Conviction A U-year-old sergeant in the Regular Army whose vehicle struck a power pole in Wai?alrl Eoad at 8.50 p.m. on May was convicted of driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of drink or drugs. It was the second conviction for driving under the influence of drink or 1 drugs tor John Greig Atkinson (Mr M. J. Glue), who pleaded guilty. . Atkinson was remanded to May 47 for a probation officer's report and sentence. A traffic officer had found Atkinson apparently asleep in his car after the accident, said Sergeant Stevenson. Atkinson had been unable to stand without support apd a doctor’s cer-

tifleate had declared him unlit to drive. The defendant had stated that ho had been drinking from 6 g.m. toJR ,p-m., and “must have Asking the Court to take “the rare course” of not imprisoning the defendant, Mr Glue said that imprisonment would endanget his job-but he was not “pointing a pistol at the Court’s head.” bUMLAXY Anthony John SHU, aged IS. a window cleaner, was convicted and remanded in custody to May n for sentence on a charge of breaking and entering I. and M- Motoi-s, 317 Barbadoes street, on February id. He pleaded guilty. Sergeant Stevenson said MOR

cigarettes valued at Sis were stolen tram a display stand in the service station. The defendant admitted the silence when interviewed by the potlee.

INDECENT ASSAULT ATTEMPT A 73-year-old retired gardner. Darcy Nelson LeCompte, was convicted of attempting to indecently assault a flve-year-old girl at Christchurch on March LeCompte (Mr W, S. Smith) was remanded in custody until May. 17 for .». probation officer’s report and sentence. HO pleaded not guilty.

REMANDED David Stanley Small, aged 25, an. hirman <Mr J. G. Leggat) was remanded in custody to May. 17 on a charge of attempting to murder Doreen Evelyn Small on April 27.

TRAFFIC OFFENCES In prosecutions brought by the Police, convictions for traffic offences, with Court costs of 95 in each, were entered as follows: —

Careless use: Lawrence Millard, 914, licence cancelled for one month.

Failed to give way to right: Maria Christina De Gouw, 919. Failed to notify deputy registrar of change of ownership of motor vehicle: Arehibold George Graham, 912. Failed to produce driver’s Ucence for endorsement: Garry Allan Lewis, 910. ’ No warrant of fitness: John Damion O'Connell; 99.

LIQUOR OFFENCES In prosecutions brought by . the Police, offenders against the i Sale of Liquor Act were dealt 1 with as follows, with Court costs ■ of 95 in each Conviction : Minor found in public bar: . -John Wayne Patrick Marshall. 99 (gave false particulars to Police, 96); Stanley Morris Rowe, 98 (gave false particulars to Police, 98). Person other than licensee or manager who supplied liquor to a minor: Heather Maria Snyder, 915. Manager of hotel who allowed liquor to be supplied to minors: Gerald Duncan Langley, charge dismissed. ‘(Before Mr H. J. Evans, 8.M.) TREATMENT NEEDED The accused needed some sort of treatment, said Mr R. L. Kerr, counsel for a man whose name was suppressed and who was appearing for sentence on a charge of doing an indecent act upon a girl aged flve years and three months on March 23 at Christchurch. The man was placed on probation for throe years. The Magistrate said ho was clear that probation, which was, in his opinion, the appropriate sentence, must be for the maximum term of three years. “It will be subject to a condition that the defendant Undergo such psychiatric or other medical treatment during the Kriod of probation as the Protion Officer directs. There will also be a condition that the defendant pay costs of Court 95 and 320 towards the costs of the prosecution; these moneys to be paid as the Probation Officer directs. "The application for Anal suppression of name is the really difficult part of this case to. decide. Here is a young man, 22 years of age, a family map, with a young wife and two little children of Ms own. He has never previously been in any trouble with the law; no trouble of this kind,- nor of any other sort. A report from a eity

psychiatrist la before me, accompanied by a specialist assessment by a psychologist, but these do not strongly convey to me that 1 ought, in exorcising the Court’s discretion, take the view that suppression is needful in the defendants own interests,” he said. "Of more weight, however, to my mind, are two other factors:, flrst the seemingly very impulsive, spur-of-the-moment nature of tMs unnatural, highly offensive act, and second, the defendant's own age and family position. My over-all and considered opinion is that the boneflt to the community of the publteation of this defendant’s rttose would be outweighed by the extreme detriment that would be suffered, not by the defendant alone, but by those several members of his family, both younger and older, who bear the same, rather unusual, name,’’ eaid the Magistrate.

STOLE CLOTHING Elsie Cope., aged 92, a housewife, was fined. 339 with witnesses’ expenses of 912, when she appeared for sentence on a charge of Mealing a packet of panties valued at 91.29, the property of persons unknown on January 29. Mr G. T. Mahon, counsel for Cope’, said in his submissions for suppression of name that this was another tragic case of a middle-aged woman of good character committing theft. It was inexplicable. The Magistrate refused the application for suppression of name.

FINED 990 Thomas James Robert Senior, aged 26, an unemployed workman, was fined 990 when he appeared for sentence en a charge of unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl aged 15 years seven months at Nelson between April 20 and June 20. IM7. Mr M. J. Glue, who appeared tor Senior, said the complainant was a "rather unchaste girl and not a virgin when she met the defendant". DISMISSED

A charge of failing to give Information when requested to by a traffic officer on November 24, 1907, against Alan James Coupe, aged 22, a Otter, was dismissed. Coupe, who pleaded not guilty, was represented by Mr J. M. Wilson. TRAFFIC CHARGES

Other traffic prosecutions with convictions entered (court costs 35 on each charge) were: Exceeding 39 mji.h.: John Edward Jeffs, 910; Steven Kovacs, 910. Crossed against traffic lights: Stephen Bailey, 315. Failed to stop at compulsory stop: Ross Lester Gibson, 320.