MAGISTRATE’S COURT Man Arrested Wearing Wig After Ramming Police Car

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32393, 4 September 1970, Page 5

MAGISTRATE’S COURT Man Arrested Wearing Wig After Ramming Police Car

A young Maori arrested by detectives in Cranford Street while he was wearing a woman’s blond wig three hours after he had rammed a police car, appeared before Mr K. H. J. Headifen, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday on five charges relating to offences at Christchurch, Rangiora, and Belfast on the same night The defendant Easter Kerepibi Waenga, aged 19, an unemployed forestryworker, pleaded guilty to charges of driving on the Main North Road in a dangerous manner on September 2, burglary of two shops at Rangiora on September 1, and unlawfully taking a car at Christchurch and another one at Rangiora on the same date.

He was convicted on all charges and remanded in custody to September 10 for sentence.

Sergeant M. Morresey said a police patrol returning from Rangiora about 4.40 am. on September 2 saw the defendant driving a car previously reported as having been unlawfully taken. “As the police car drew alongside the vehicle, the defendant turned hard to the right and rammed the police car. He later said he did this to slow the police car down in an effort to avoid being apprehended,” Sergeant Morresey said. The defendant jumped from the car while it was still moving and made off across nearby paddocks.

When arrested in Cranford Street at 7.30 am. he was wearing a blond wig which he admitted taking when he broke into a Rangiora beautysalon. He also admitted taking shoes when he broke into another shop.

The defendant told the police he took a car from Sydenham and drove to Ra- ; ngiora where he committed the burglaries. While there he tried to take another car but only drove it about 20 yards. -Sergeant Morresey said restitution amounting to $158.68 was sought for damage to the two vehicles involved In the collision. CHURCH BURGLARY A youth who took money and a microphone from St Peter s Roman Catholic Church in Fisher Avenue pleaded guilty to a charge of burglary of the church on August 29. He was convicted and remanded on bail to September 10 for sentence. _ _ . Sergeant V. F. Townshend said the defendant, Lionel David Charles Hartley, aged 10. a storeman, entered the open church about 4 JO p.m. After looking about the church he opened an unlocked safe in another room and took 25.50. He also took a microphone worth S 3. The defondant told the police be returned to the church the next day to return the money and microphone but he was disturbed before he could do so. BURGLARY Albert Naera Murphy, aged 27. a tussock grubber, was convicted and remanded on bail to September 10 for sentence when he pleaded guilty to a charge of burglary of Skellerup Clothing and Rubber, Ltd, High Street, on September 2. Sergeant Townshend said the police were called to the factory about 10.58 p.m. The defendant was seen running down an alley near a Hre escape. He bad a satchel and two new eoats in his possession. The defendant gained entry to the factory by smashing a window at the top of the fire escape. DISORDERLY On charges of being idle and disorderly in that she had insufficient lawful means of support at Lyttelton on September 3, and failing to report while on probation, Lorraine Fay Stevenson, aged 21, an unemployed domestic, was convicted and remanded in custody to September 10 for a probation officer’s report and sentence. The defendant pleaded guilty to both charges. Sergeant Townshend said a potice patrol saw the defendant attempting to board a coastal vessel at Lyttelton at 2.30 a.m. She admitted she was unemployed and had not worked for a considerable time. The defendant said she had been living on an overseas ship at Bluff before coming to Christchurch. FINED *4O Arthur Ernest Johns, aged 81. a council worker, pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing a

bicycle between August 17 and September 2. He was convicted and fined $4O and ordered to pay restitution of $lO. STOLE CYCLE Neil James Robinson, aged 24, a rug maker, pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing a cycle worth $8 on July 30. He was convicted and fined $4O. REMANDED Allan Raymond Lucas, aged 17, an unemployed labourer, was remanded in custody to appear in the Blenheim Magistrate’s Court on September 9 on charges of reckless driving in Cathedral Square on September 2, and unlawfully taking a car and driving while disqualified at Blenheim on September 1. No plea was entered. ASSAULT James Page, aged 32, a comEny manager (Mr C. C. H. light), was convicted and fined $2O on a charge of assaulting Malcolm Craig Bennett at the Baisweil Tavern on August 8. He pleaded guilty. Sergeant Townshend said that Mr Bennett was the manager of the Halswell Tavern and, on August 8, someone set off the internal fire alarm at 8.15 p.m. The alarm was switched off but was set off again at 9 p.m. Mr Bennett went into the public bar to find who had set off the alarm and, while he was speaking to the person responsible, was approached by Page who hit him in the eye.

Mr Knight said that Page claimed Mr Bennett had used bad lanuguage when speaking to the man who had set off the alarm. This had offended Page as there were three women in the bar and Page had acted in indignation against the bad language used. OTHER CHARGES

In other prosecutions brought by the police, convictions were entered and penalties imposed as follows, with Court costs $5, on each charge:—

Failed to give way at give way sign: Alfred Allan Besley, $l5. Dangerous driving: Warren Lewis Cattermole, $3O. disqualified from driving for 18 months. Supplied liquor to minor: Samuel James Carlisle, $2O. On licensed premises under age: Gary Frederick Fairbrother. $10; James Edward Le Grice, $6; Philip William Reilly. $6; Leslie George White. $4. Unable to stop in half clear distance ahead: Miller Wihongi, $lO. disqualified from driving for three months. (Before Mr H. J. Evans, S.M.) PROBATION. $lOO FINE Gordon Bruce Woodhead was fined $lOO for assault and placed on probation for 18 months for being unlawfully on premises. A special condition of probation was that he undergo psychiatric treatment as directed, including membership of Alcoholics Anonymous. On a charge of breach of probation he was convicted and discharged. FINED $5O A woman whose name was suppressed was fined $25 on each charge when she appeared for sentence on two charges of false pretences. She was also ordered to make restitution of the money obtained, $15.02. The Magistrate said that as it was her first offence he would only impose fines, even though there were grounds for admitting her to probation. She was not represented by counsel. DECISION RESERVED Decision was reserved on a Ministry of Transport prosecution charging Fred Ellis, aged 66, a labourer (Mr C. A. McVeigh), with driving on May 31 with an excessive blood alcohol concentration. He pleaded not guilty. The Magistrate also reserved his decision on the question of conviction and penalty in respect of charges of careless driving and failing to supply

particulars after an accident, to which the defendant pleaded guilty. CHARGE REDUCED A charge of dangerous driving brought against Jacqueline Kay Butler, aged 28, a schoolteacher (Mr D. J. Boyle), was reduced to one of careless driving after she had pleaded not guilty to the major charge. She was convicted and fined $25 and disqualified for two months when she pleaded guilty to the lesser charge. (Before Mr J. D. Kinder, S.M.) CHARGE DISMISSED A charge of failing to obey traffic signals, against Gavin Patrick Heaney, was dismissed. Heaney, aged 28. a driver, pleaded not guilty. Senior Traffic Officer J. Brown brought evidence that a 22-ton truck driven by Heaney had been seen by a traffic officer driving through a red light at Moorhouse Avenue and Antigua Street on May 5. Heaney (Mr D. J. Boyle), said he had not had time to stop. An independent witness, Meyer Newson, said he had seen the incident and Heaney had cleared the intersection before the light changed from amber to red. The Magistrate refused Mr Boyle’s application for costs. FINED $2O Gavin Charles Creedon, aged 18. an apprentice butcher, was fined $2O on a charge of failing to give way at the intersection of Innes Road and Papanui Road on June 19. He pleaded not guilty and was represented by Mr B. A. Barrer. (Before Mr P. L. Molineaux, S.M.) FINED $4O Rex Douglas Turner was fined $2O on each charge of careless driving and exceeding 30 miles an hour in Moorhouse Avenue on April 4. He was represented by Mr P. F. Tempero.