SUPREME COURT Three Men Gaoled For Burgling Kaiapoi Hotel

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

SUPREME COURT Three Men Gaoled For Burgling Kaiapoi Hotel

Three men who burgled the Pier Hotel at Kaiapoi on March 19 were each sentenced to 18 months imprisonment by Mr Justice Wilson in the Supreme Court yesterday. Haami Tahere, aged 21, an unemployed truck - driver, Johnny Porter, aged 30, an unemployed miner, and Howard Desmond Hanson, aged 26, a mechanic, were found guilty by a jury last Monday. Counsel (Mr R. J. Allan) said that Tahere appeared to have played a minor role in the crime. He had not been seen carrying any goods from the hotel to the car. His Honour said he had to take a serious view of the offence but would reduce the sentence, as a mark of hope in Tahere’s basic decency. Mr M. G. L. Loughnan said that although his client, Porter, had a record that did him no credit, he had done nothing serious Involving property between June, 1964, and May, 1967. His Honour said that Porter had played a major part in the crime, but because he had already'been in custody for three months he would confine the sentence to 18 months. Mr R. S. Boland said that Hanson had a formidable list of convictions, including eight for driving while disqualified. He was now barred from driving until 1982. But he had not been convicted of a crime for three years. Hanson had since made good and had established a flourishing business in motor mechanics. There was every indication that he had been trying to make good. His Honour said he felt

that Hanson had played a major part in the crime because his vehicle had been used. He said he would take into account Hanson’s previous record. Borstal Training His Honour sentenced David Stanley John Tranter, aged 18, a driver, to Borstal training. Tranter had been convicted of burgling the North Avon Dairy on or about March 24. His Honour said that Tranter had committed the crime while on probation for other offences. “It doesn’t appear you have responded to the leniency shown you,” he said. “You need some form of training under supervision.”