MAGISTRATE’S COURT Man Sentenced To Gaol For Assault On Young Girl

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31724, 6 July 1968, Page 10

MAGISTRATE’S COURT Man Sentenced To Gaol For Assault On Young Girl

Mervyn Dennis Thomas Needham, aged 23, an engineering labourer, (Mr D. P. H. Dawson), was gaoled for one month when he appeared for sentence in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday on a charge that on February 22 at Lyttelton he assaulted a female.

Needham appeared before Mr P. L. Molineaux, S.M.

The Magistrate said Needham had appeared in Court twice previously, for a minor matter of theft and for being idle and disorderly. He noticed Needham had been remanded in custody in connection with the charge on which he was appearing for sentence and on other matters.

During part of the remand period he had been at a mental hospital for observation and report. That report disclosed he had some preoccupation with sex and violence but the hospital authorities did not consider he was suitable for treatment at the hospital, said the Magistrate. Needham’s probation officer’s report showed that since adolescence Needham's behaviour had not been satisfactory. A most disturbing aspect of the offence was it had been perpetrated on a young girl of 15 at night on a street

when she was returning home after having travelled on the last bus. He had accosted the girl from behind, placed a hand over her mouth and another round her waist. She screamed. A car was approaching, she screamed again and Needham had made off. Needham had known it was only a small girl that he had subjected to such treatment as he had travelled on the bus with her. The Magistrate said he had been advised that Needham had been remanded in custody for a considerable length of time—almost five months —and he had been asked to take that into consideration. In taking that into consideration and also the public interest, the nature of the assault, the age of the girl and that it had happened late at night he considered the appropriate sentence was one of six months imprisonment. The sentence imposed on Needham therefore would be one month’s goal, he said. FINED S2O Anthony Charles Blackett, aged 23. a student (Mr M. J, Glue), pleaded not guilty to a charge that on March 15 at the intersection of Clyde Road and Memorial Avenue he failed to comply with the traffic lights. He was convicted and fined <2O. EXCEEDED 30 M.P.H. John Worgan Wormaid, aged

24, a totallsator agency board agent (Mr L. G. Holder), pleaded not guilty to a charge of exceeding 30 m.p.h. In Ham Road on March 24. He was convlcted and fined 335. FAILED TO KEEP TO LEFT John Carroll Hunter, aged 60, a taxi driver (Mr M. J. Glue), pleaded not guilty to a charge that on April 1 he failed to keep to the left on Dyers Pass Road. He was convicted and fined 320 FINED 310 Tom Ahjay, aged 16, a gas cutter, pleaded not guilty to a charge that on April 7 In Memorial Avenue he exceeded 30 m.p.h. He was convicted and fined 310. (Before Mr E. S. J. Crutchley. S.M.) ASSAULT AFTER ACCIDENT Roderick Arthur MacKenzle, aged 29. a private Investigator (Mr S. G. Erber), pleaded guilty to a charge of assaulting Ashton Clifford Salter on June 6. and was convicted and remanded to July 15. MacKenzle had hit the complainant after a motor accident, the Court was told. Defendant was a former amateur boxer and telephoned the police some time after the Incident. Mr Erber said the complainant had tried to strike the first blow, and there were witnesses who had seen this. MacKenzle had pleaded guilty on the basis that he had used excessive force. Thomas Michael Brown gave evidence that Salter "had taken a swing" at MacKenzle, hitting him. The Magistrate said he would want a medical report so he could consider the possibility of sending MacKenzle to the adult periodic detention centre. FINED 320 Antoinette Stevens, aged 21, an entertainer (Mr S. G. Erber), pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing a cardigan worth 36.45 from Woolworths (N.Z.), Ltd,

and was convicted and fined $2O She was ordered to make restitution of $6.45.

The offence was committed on the spur of the moment, Mr Erber said. Her male companion had run off with the cardigan, and Stevens’s shopping bag and money. He had not been found. OBSCENE EXPOSURE Pleading guilty to a charge of obscene exposure a man whose name was suppressed (Mr S. G Erber) was convicted and remanded on bail to July 15 for sentence. DROVE WHILE DISQUALIFIED Lester Stewart Chambers, aged 23, a workman (Mr M. G L. Loughnan), pleaded guilty to a charge of driving while disqualified in Selwyn Street on February 12 having twice been convicted on a similar charge He was convicted and remanded on bail to July 15. Chambers also pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to give way on the same date, and on this charge was also remanded. The adult periodic detention centre would open on July 8, and he wanted a medical refiort on Chambers, the Magisrate said. MISCELLANEOUS CHARGES On other charges brought by the police, offenders were dealt with as follows, with costs of $5 on each charge:— Supplied liquor to minor: Marina Dora Gray, $l5; James Phillip Clent, $5 Minor found in bar: Roderick William McFarlane, $2O. Careless driving: Kevin lan Hazlett, $l5 (no warrant of fitness, $2). (Before Mr J. D. Kinder, S.M.) FINED FOR OBSCENE EXPOSURE He would accept a medical report that the defendant- would be unlikely to offend in a similar manner again, said the Magistrate when he fined Grahame Edward Louden, aged 27. unemployed. $5O for obscene exposure in Harewood Road on May 22. Louden (Mr A. Hearn) was appearing for sentence. The offence had been committed a week after Louden had been convicted on two similar charges, and had been fined and admitted to probation for one year, said the Magistrate

SPEED DANGEROUS Brian Laurence Robin, aged 25, a fitter-welder, was fined $5O and his driving licence was cancelled for one year, when he was convicted of driving at a speed which might have been dangerous on Blenheim Road at 6.50 p.m. on April 28. Robin (Mr Z. Maciaszek) pleaded not guilty. LIQUOR OFFENCES Two persons who pleaded not guilty to charges involving serving liquor to a minor in the Masonic Hotel on May 18 were convicted. Paul Wildermoth, a valuation officer, was fined $lO for being a person other than the manager who supplied liqour to the minor, and Basil Parsons was fined $5 for being the hotelkeeper who supplied liquor. Mr K. J. McMenamin appeared for both defendants. (Before Mr W. F. Brown, S.M ) FINED $l2 lain Gregory Duncan, aged 19, a workman (Mr L. M. O’Reilly), pleaded not guilty to a charge that on March 26 at the intersection of Riccarton Road and Straven Road he failed to comply with the traffic lights. He was convicted and fined $l2. CHARGE DISMISSED Malcolm Edward Tolhurst, aged 20, an apprentice joiner (Mr L. M. O’Reilly), pleaded not guilty to a charge that on March 30 on State Highway No. 1 at Papanui he was unable to stop in the distance between two vehicles. The charge was dismissed. FINED $22 Derek Mervyn Kirk, aged 20. a student (Mr J. E. Butler), pleaded not guilty to a charge of overtaking on Springs Road at an intersection on March 27 and guilty to a charge of exceeding 30 m.p.h. He was convicted on both charges, fined $4 for passing on an intersection, and $lB for exceeding the speed limit. FINED $8 Shona Anne Anderson, aged 32, a law clerk (Mr P. F. Tempero), pleaded not guilty to a charge of failing to comply with the traffic lights at the intersection of Riccarton Road and Clarence Street on March 29. She was convicted and fined $B.