MAGISTRATE'S COURT Man To Stand Trial On Charge Of Burglary Of Jeweller’s Shop

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31775, 4 September 1968, Page 8

MAGISTRATE'S COURT Man To Stand Trial On Charge Of Burglary Of Jeweller’s Shop

Brian Carrington, aged 38, an unemployed workman, was committed for trial in the Supreme Court on a charge of breaking and entering the jeweller’s shop of Stuart Courtney Suckling, 3A Ferry Road, on July 25, with intent to commit a crime, after depositions had been taken in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday before Messrs O. C. Mitchell and L. C. Fulford, Justices of the Peace. Carrington, who pleaded not guilty, was represented by Mr J. E. Butler. Detective Sergeant R. G. McMeeking prosecuted.

Stuart Courtney Suckling, a watchmaker, said 26 watches and two clocks valued at $844 were stolen from his shop. Entry was gained by wrenching off one of the bars across a window and smashing the glass. The damage amounted to $2O. He identified a watch produced in Court as one of those stolen from his premises.

Lance Murdoch, a war pensioner, said Carrington and another man called at his residence in Hereford street on a date he could not remember. He was sitting by the fire and the two men were at a table on which there were some watches. When they went they left one watch on the table which he later surrendered to the police. Detective Sergeant B. J. Preston said he saw Carrington in the Excelsior Hotel and said to him: “Where are all the watches, Tex?” Carrington had replied: “You haven’t got a show in hell of finding them. The stuff from the Ferry Road and Selwyn Street jobs has gone. The stuff from the Sydenham job is still in town.” Asked who had done the jobs Carrington had replied that it was Harry Martin and Keenen. He had refused to say if he was with them, but admitted that he could know where the matches were. “I asked the defendant what he would say if I agreed to meet him in the middle of Bagley Park in the early hours and give him $5OO to tell me where the watches were. He replied: That will be the day. You’ll have the whole place surrounded by demons.’

"As we were walking down Manchester Street the defendant turned to me and said: ‘I did all the jobs. I may as well tell you. It is of no use to you. You will not be able to prove it’,” said Detective Sergeant Preston. “I said to the defendant: ’You have got to sell them somewhere. Somebody will top you off.’ He replied: ‘Nobody in town will top me off. They are all scared. I have this town sown up.’ ” Carrington had admitted committing the Ferry Road burglary, Detective Sergeant Preston said. In Bonners Hotel he had asked Carrington the time and he had replied: “It’s no good asking me, I haven't got a watch.” The defendant pulled up his sleeves and showed him his wrists, said Sergeant Preston. Carrington had asked him i why he did not have a watch and he had replied that he could not afford one. Carrington had said: “How about a good Seiko for $50?” When asked where the watch had come from the accused had replied: “Mind your own business,’ said Sergeant Preston. Detective B. A. Ramsey said that when he questioned Carrington at the C. 1.8. office on August 9 he had denied knowing anything about the jewellery robberies and he denied selling watches around hotels. After he was charged Carrington had said: “I told Preston who did the job. Why are you charging me with the burglary?” Mr Butler submitted that no case had been made out and said that there was nothing in the evidence to associate Carrington with the burglary. Detective,Sergeant McMeeking said the police strongly opposed bail. An application for bail was later heard by Mr P. L. Molineaux, S.M., in chambers, and was granted. (Before Mr P. L. Molineaux. S.M.) FINED $lOO Alan Kelso Newton, aged 40. a company manager (Mr J. M. Wilson), was convicted and fined $lOO and disqualified from driving for three years on a charge of driving tn Hagley Avenue on August 23 while under the influence of drink or drugs. He pleaded guilty. Sergeant Shields said the defendant's car struck the back of another vehicle stopped for traffic in front of him. A constable interviewing the defendant had to hold him up at times to prevent him from falling to the ground.

The defendant was later certified by a doctor as unfit to drive. Mr Wilson said the defendant had not been sleeping well, and had a history of illness. Drugs he had been taking for his condition could have lowered his tolerance for alcohol. PETROL THEFT Robert Douglas Phelps Hopkins, aged 18, a field assistant, was convicted and fined $2O on a charge of stealing five gallons of petrol valued at $2 on September 3. He pleaded guilty. "You have thrown your reputation away for the price of a gallon of petrol.” the Magistrate said. Sergeant Shields said a police patrol saw the defendant siphoning petrol from a compressor parked in Taylor’s Mistake Road at 6 20 a.m. The defendant ran off. but was soon located. The defendant said his car was low in petrol so he decided to borrow some from the compressor because he knew the owner, and return it later. It was later learned that the owner of the machine did not know the defendant. TOOK TRUCK On charges of unlawfully taking a truck valued at $lO5O on July 21, and driving while disqualified on the same date, Michael David Bridge, aged 24, a labourer (Mr J. M. Wilson), was convicted and remanded on bail to September 10 for sentence. He pleaded guilty. Sergeant Shields said an offduty constable saw a truck being driven through a two-foot-high block fence and over the gutter from the yard of W. D. N. Park as he was passing at 2.45 a.m. He followed the truck for some distance before calling for help from police patrols. When the patrols converged on the truck soon after 3 a.m. it rammed one police car before being brought to a stop. Damage to the police car was estimated at $5O. Damage to the truck and fence amounted to $3O. NAME SUPPRESSED A youth, whose name was suppressed (Mr K. L. Heney). was discharged without conviction under section 42 of the Criminal Justice Act when he pleaded guilty to a charge of theft of 24 bottles of ale valued at $7.20 at Wedderburn on August 16. Mr Heney said the defendant succumbed to a sudden urge to take the liquor off a hotel bar when he could not get service. It was an isolated act committed on the spur of the moment while he was affected by alcohol. The defendant had voluntarily made a statement about the matter to the police on his return to Christchurch. He had already made full restitution. He was ordered to pay $l5 towards the costs of prosecution. SHOPLIFTING A woman, whose name was suppressed (Mr I. B. McNeil), was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence within six months if called upon when she pleaded guilty to a charge of , theft of groceries valued at $1.56 on July 30. Mr McNeil said the defendant | had a history of mental dis- , order, and was in a depressed i state of mind. FINED $9O On a charge of driving on the Main North Road on July 5 while under the influence of drink or drugs, Norman Charles Richards, aged 38. an electrical fitter (Mr K. N. Hampton), was convicted and fined $9O and disqualified from driving for three years. He pleaded not guilty. He pleaded guilty to a charge of having no driver’s licence and was convicted and fined $6. TRAFFIC OFFENCES In police traffic prosecutions convictions were entered and ' fines were imposed as follows: Failed to notify change of j ownership: Kevin Lawrence McQuoid (two charges). $4. $4., drove without endorsed memor-1 andum of ownership. $4; Kelvin i James Scarth, $6 (used vehicle without endorsed memorandum of ownership, two charges). $6. $6. Failed to comply with traffic lights: Garry Brown. $2O, disqualified for one month. No driver’s licence: John Winton Dangerfield, $l5. (Before Mr K. H. J. Headifen, S.M.) FINED AND DISQUALIFIED On a charge of carelessly using a vehicle and causing the death of Michael Ngatai on May 18. Russell Alexander Thomas Fairbairn, aged 21. an apprentice panel beater <Mr B. A. Barrer). was convicted and lined $4O. disqualified from driving for one year from September 17. and ordered to pay witnesses expenses of $15.50. He pleaded not guilty. The charge arose from an accident at the intersection of Buchan and Wordsworth Streets at 10.30 p.m. on May 18. Ngatai was a passenger in Fairbairn's car which was Involved in a collision with a car driven by James Finlay. The Magistrate said Fairbairn had a clear duty to give way to the car driven by Mr Finlay, and that he was not prepared to hold that Mr Finlay had been travelling at an excessive speed. (Before Mr J. D. Kinder, S.M.I TRAFFIC CHARGES In City Council traffic prose-

cutions offenders were convicted and fined as follows. Court costs were $5 in all cases. Drove at speed that might have been dangerous: David Charles Lyndon, $4O. and disqualified for 12 months, Gilbert John Scarrott, $4O and disqualified for 12 months; Peter Thomas Scarrott, $45, and disqualified for 12 months. Failed to stop at compulsory stop: Florence Mary Topp, $25. and disqualified for three months; Garry Kenneth Bates, $2O, and disqualified for one month; Robert Cowley Clarke. $2O: Steven Bela Landaver, $l5: Kevin Barry Lundon, $25, and disqualified for three months (exceeded 30 miles an hour. $10): Robert Macklan, $6: Christopher Edward Moore. $l5. and disqualified for three months: Brian Jeffrey Sheppard, $10; Frances Marie Thompson. $lO Failed to give way: Ruby Mildred Drummond. $2O; Harry Charles Drake, $2O; Arthur James Fi|lbrook, $25: Rex Alexander Fuldseth, $lO. and disqualified for three months; Gregory Miles Husband. $2O; Mary Loomes, $2O, and disqualified for three months: Gillian Primrose Dorothy Prestage, $2O; Rubert Lawrence Roberts, $2O: Patrick Steven Hanrahan, $2O. Failed to comply wtih traffic lights: David Slaclc, $6 (no front light. $4): Kenneth Charles Allsop, $l5: Luke Matthew Neary, $l5, and disqualified for three months. Proceeded before way was clear: Rubey Lavina Alderice. $lO. Careless use: Kenyon John Hollows, $2O, and disqualified for one month: Martin Watson, $25; Denes William Cserepanyi, $l5; Percy William Smith, $l5; Carol May Logie, $2O. Passed vehicle at intersection: Gilbert John Joseph Crotty, $l5, and disqualified for three months. Insufficient lights: Barry Charles McSeveny, $l5: Desmond Hugh Campbell. $4: Brian Andrew Vince. $10: Allen Trevor Warman, $l5. and disqualified for one month. No rear red light on goods service vehicle parked during the hours of darkness: Barry Ingham, $2O; Hoani Rangrhuna. : $2O. No driver's licence: Anthony George Ringdahl, $l5; Murray Ross Wiseman. $l5; Mervyn Frederick Bower, $2O. and disqualified for three months (exceeded 30 miles an hour. $10); Aubrey Dennis Hooper. $l5, and disqualified for six months; Alan Malcolm Kerr. $4 (no warrant of fitness. $10). Inappropriate driver’s licence: Bruce Wayne Mabey, $l5; Eric Gordon Risdon. $lO (no heavy traffic licence. $10). Failed to carry heavy traffic licence: Bailing Industries, Ltd, $10; James Allan Hardy, $10; Safeway Scaffolding, Ltd. $6. Overloaded heavy traffic licence: E. H. Boyce and Company. Ltd. $25 (exceeded ax’e weight $2O. failed to disp’ay certificate of fitness $10): British Pavements, Ltd. $l5 (overloaded rear axle. $10).

Exceeded 30 miles an hour William Albert Davis. $l5: June Catherine Mary Leggat, $2O; Barbara Elizabeth Hill, $10; Anthony John Gordon, $l2: Charles William Gentry. $l5: Clifton Halliday. $6; Ronald Weakley. $10: Donald Peter Bailey. $25: Edward Tennyson Chirnsdde, $10; Hamish Charles Ensor. $10; Brian Mervyn Everett, $l5; lan Stuart Farquhar, $10; Roydon Blair Granger. $10; Anthony Richard Green, $l2; Brian Graham Hadley, $10: Anthony Richard Hart. $l2; Wayne Gavin Hart. $10: Thomas Henry Campbell, $10: David Stewart HoHand. 812; lan James Kirkpatrick. $10; Brian James McGuire, $lO and disqualified for one month; James McDowell. $l2: William Joseph Mitchell. $10: Barry Cyril Moore. $10; Albert Francis Moyle, $10: Eric Thomas Outram, $lO and dis qualified for one month: Alan George Radford. $l5: Ronald Benjamin Rhodes, $10; Robert Henry Selbien. $l2: Ronald David Sutherland, $10: William John Taylor, $10; Hector John Thompson. $l5; Kenneth John Toohey, $10; Maurice Edgar Wilson, $l2. No rear number plate displayed: John Alexander Urquhart. $6. Unsafe load: Allan James McKenzie. $25. Noisy vehicle: Thomas William Henderson. $lO. Failed to attach safely: chain: Arseni Mitt. $lO. Parked within 20ft of intersection: Thomas John Teifi Jones, $2. Riding bicycle with no hands on handlebars: Christopher David Jones, $3. Carried pillion passenger while holder of provisional licence: Jeremy Robert Buchanan. $8; Stanley William Evans. $S (failed to display "L” label, $6). Parked over time limit: Merton Stuart Bullivant, $2: Thomas Brown. $2: Bruce Conway McClelland. $5; Edward Francis Nolan, $2. Did not display ”L” sign: Jeffrie Albert Cairns. $2O: Graham Lawson Rollo. $10: Joan Shirley Foote, $6; Trevor Charles Hesson, $2; Darcy Whiteman, $6. No warrant of fitness: David William Hardaker. $10; Ronald Charles Quarterman. $6: James Edward Aldous. $10; Douglas Rae Heney. $B.