MAGISTRATE’S COURT Man Admits Stealing Cheque-book

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32052, 29 July 1969, Page 7

MAGISTRATE’S COURT Man Admits Stealing Cheque-book

A man who stole his landlady’s cheque-book in spite after an argument with her, pleaded guilty to a charge of theft of the book between June 12 and June 26 when he appeared before Mr P..L. Moli neaux, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. The defendant, Robert John Wearing, aged 33, a steward (Mr W’. A. Wilson), was convicted and remanded on bail to August 4 for sentence. Senior-Sergeant F. G. Muicare said the defendant admitted taking the book as he left his lodgings in Dunedin. Mr Wilson said, the chequebook had been recovered intact and the offence itself was a trivial one. The Magistrate said he could not consider the offence as trivial in view of the defendant’s previous offences which included theft, forgery and uttering. DISORDERLY Walter Desmond Wesley, aged 39, a truck driver, pleaded not guilty to a charge of behaving in a disorderly manner in the public bar of the Bower Hotel on June 14. He conducted his own defence. Senior-Sergeant Mulcare brought evidence that Wesley had been drinking in the bar with a woman, with whom he had had a de facto relationship, and a man. An argument developed and Wesley was seen trying to drag the woman outside as she held on to a bar rail. A large number of people were present. In evidence, Wesley said he had been provoked, and denied having struck or kicked either the woman or the mm,

as described respectively in their evidence. Fining Wesley $lO, the Magistrate said he accepted that he was provoked to some extent.

“There were patrons looking on The bar manager, the publican and finally the police became involved,” he said. “If you want to hold a dispute on a private matter, a public bar is not the place to do it.”,

FOUND IN YARD On a charge of being a rogue and a vagabond in that he was found without lawful excuse in a yard in Ferry Road on July 26, Ngatawa Stanley Mohi, aged 19, a factory worker, was convicted and remanded on bail to August 4 for sentence. He pleaded guilty. Senior-Sergeant Mulcare said a night supervisor at a home for girls in Ferry Road saw a man in the grounds about 10.30 p.m. The police were called and the defendant was found in Ferry Road. The defendant told the police he hoped to see his girl friend, who was in the home. OBSCENE LANGUAGE Sonya Gail Smith, aged 18, a factory hand, was convicted and fined 820 when she pleaded guilty to a charge of using obscene language in Cathedral Square on July 27. REMANDED A man, whose name was suppressed, was remanded for observation and report under section 37 of the Mental Health Act when he appeared on a charge of Injuring Vailimea Patricia Anderson on July 26 with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

The remand was granted on the application of the police until August 25. RESCUED FROM PIPE A constable, who heard the sound of breaking glass in Lichfield Street at 12.25 a m. on July 21, saw two men jump out of a window and run along the fire escape of the Presbyterian Bookshop. When called upon to stop, one of the men tried to escape over the roof, but slipped and was left clinging to a drainpipe. A ladder was brought by the police, and the man was arrested on his descent. David George Keenan, aged 33, a labourer, pleaded guilty to a charge of burgling the bookshop. He was remanded in custody until August 4 for a probation officer's report and sentence. FOUND ON PORCH A woman, who found a man sitting on the front porch of her Colombo Street flat, drinking a bottle of sherry at 7.15 a.m. on July 26, called the police, said Sergeant J. D. Burrell. The man told the police he went there for a rest. George Roger Henshafr, aged 53, 'Unemployed, pleaded guilty to being on the premises without lawful excuse. He was remanded on bail to August 4 for a probation report and sentence. TRAFFIC OFFENCES Proceeded from stop sign before way clear: Christopher John Crichton Wright, $l5. Careless use: B. G. Stevens. $l5, and disqualified from driving for three months (witnesses’ expenses, $3.25). LIQUOR OFFENCE Minor found in bar: lan Pitts, $l2 (found drunk, costs only). (Before Mr K. H. J. Headifen, S.M.) THREE CHARGES

Francis John Fisher van der Veen, aged 27, a fishmonger (Mr A. P. C. Tipping), was fined $5O and disqualified for six months when he appeared on charges of careless driving, failing to stop after an accident and failing to ascertain injuries. He pleaded guilty to the careless driving charge and not guilty to the others. Edward Lightfoot said that on March 12 he saw a ear pull slightly over the compulsory stop at the Linwood Worcester Street intersection The car pulled out as he reached the intersection, said Mr Lightfoot, and collided with the left-hand rear mudguard of his vehicle. When he stopped to check the damage the other car drove off.

Senior Traffic Officer Drain said van der Veen, when interviewed, had at first denied being involved in the accident. He later admitted this and said he had “told lies at first” because his licence was endorsed.

Van der Veen said in evidence that he had not heard any sounds of impact because his radio was playing. He thought he had missed the other vehicle, although he considered the incident a "near miss.” Van der Veen denied telling Senior Traffic Officer Drain that he had at first lied to him. DROVE CARELESSLY The evidence showed that the defendant had not travelled as close as practicable to the left of the road and that he had been negligent in failing to keep a proper lookout, the Magistrate told Edward Worthington, a 48-year-old company manager. Worthington (Mr M. C. Walker), was fined $l5, with Court costs and witnesses’ expenses, on a charge of careless driving in Carlton Mill Road on April 1. He pleaded not guilty. Traffic Officer R. E. Little said that Worthington had collided with a car waiting in the middle of the road to turn into a vehicle entrance about 7.15 p.m.

Worthington said he had been distracted when a taxi he was following pulled suddenly in to the left. This movement, combined with oncoming traffic, had prevented his seeing the car. Exceeding 30 m.p.h.: Colin Francis de Joux, $l5; Graham Archibold, $l2. (Before Mr W. F. Brown,- S.M.) PROBATION

Because Frederick Llewellyn Williams, aged 21, had not had sufficient time to adjust to life in the community since his release from Borstal the Magistrate extended probation to July 7, 1971. He was already on probation for earlier offences. Williams appeared for sentence on charges of being idle and (Msorderly without sufficient means of lawful . support on May 16, using obscene language on June 8, and escaping from [lawful custody or>June 8. He pleaded guilty.

“You appeared before me on June 8 on charges of burglary and theft, but at that time you had been out of Borstal only a short time/* said the Magistrate. “Because of this I thought I had to be realistic and give you several months to adjust to life in the community. However, if you show no signs of adjusting during your probationary period you will go back to Borstal, or to prison.” (Before Mr H. J. Evans, S.M.) FURTHER CHARGES ADMITTED Russell James Brown, aged 18, unemployed, who was to have appeared for sentence on a charge of false pretences, pleaded guilty to charges of driving in a manner which might have been dangerous in Tuam and Barbadoes Streets, and having no warrant of fitness. He was remanded in custody to August 1 for sentence. Traffic Officer R. Little said that Brown was to have appeared on the traffic charges last Tuesday and when he did not appear a bench warrant was issued for his arrest. .On May 23 a traffic officer saw a car being driven north on Madras Street by Brown make a wide right turn into Tuam Street. The car got out of control and went on to the wrong side of the road. He did the same thing when turning into Madras Street. Two vehicles approaching from the opposite direction had to pull over to the kerb to avoid an accident. When Brown’s car was stopped it was found that the windows were fogged up. Visibility was bad because rain was falling. The condition of the car, which did not have a warrant of fitness, was poor. OBSCENE EXPOSURE A man, "whose name was suppressed, was admitted to probation for a year, was ordered to live and work where directed, to undergo psychiatric treatment and to pay $3O towards the cost of prosecution and Court costs of $lO when he appeared for sentence on charges of obscene exposure on the Main North Road and at Spencerville. Mr L. M. O’Reilly, for the accused, said that the offences were caused by a psychological problem. A doctor had stated that it was unlikely that the accused would offend again when he was cured of his mental illness.

The Magistrate said that the accused had no previous convictions and his behaviour suggested that he had a psychological problem.