Magistrate’s Court YOUTH STOLE $40, RETURNED TO ROB

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32541, 26 February 1971, Page 11

Magistrate’s Court YOUTH STOLE $40, RETURNED TO ROB

A youth who went into the Catholic Centre for a pamphlet, stole $4O from an envelope while the proprietor was away and returned the next day with companions and attacked and robbed the 72-year-old proprietor, was remanded in custody to March 4 for sentence when he appeared in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday before Mr K. H. J. Headifen, S.M. Bernard Michael Seymour Minogue, aged 17, an unemployed sales representative, pleaded guilty to the charges of theft and robbery. Sergeant R. S. Morgan said that Minogue told his brother he had stolen the money on February 16 and returned the following day with his brother and two others. They went into the shop at 5.45 p.m. and a fight broke out between them and the proprietor. The latter was beaten about the head and $7.44 was taken. The defendant ran from the shop, said Sergeant Morgan, but was arrested with the money in his possession. He admitted the theft on the previous day and said he nad spent the money on liquor. The Magistrate said that Minogue was at present on probation. The defendant’s brother, Noel Edwin Minogue, aged 22, a factory hand, also charged with robbery, made no plea and was remanded until March 4 to enable him to get legal aid.

BURGLARY Kevin James Garlick, aged 22, a workman (Mr R. 3. de Goldl). pleaded guilty to charges of burgling a shed belonging to Blake Brothers, Ltd, at Templeton on February 4, together with another person and unlawfully taking a car on the same date. He was convicted on both charges and remanded on ball to March 4 for sentence. Sergeant Morgan said that Garlick and another person who had already appeared before the Court stole gas-cutting equipment from the shed and travelled in an unlawfully taken car to Burwood, where they intended to burgle a church. They were arrested as they were unloading the equipment.

David Michael Bohan, aged 17, unemployed (Mr R. F. Powell), pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing a car wortlr $3500 from N. M. Peryer, Ltd, on February 16, a charge of obtaining a cheque for $3250 on February 16 from Neate Mitchell Motors, Ltd, by false pretence, and a charge of obtaining a cheque for $2295 from W. J. Scott’s Motors, Ltd, by false pretence on February 9. He was convicted on all charges and remanded on bail to March 4 for sentence.

Bohan was also remanded to the same date on a charge of stealing a car worth $2700 from N. M. Peryer, Ltd, on February 9. He pleaded not guilty to this charge. INDECENT ASSAULTS

A Christchurch Transport Board bus driver who indecently assaulted male passengers was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment on three charges of

indecent assault on males. John David Kingston, aged 25 (Mr M. J. Glue), haa previously pleaded guilty to committing the indecent assaults on January 26 and 27.

The Magistrate said that the defendant had a deeply dis* turbed personality and homosexuality was only a part of a much wider problem. The defendant was married, with two young children, and had expressed a desire to leave for England to make a fresh start as soon as possible. These points were in his favour.

However, the defendant had indecently assaulted a 16-year-old youth and a 20-year-old youth on his bus. The third offence was committed on the 10-year-old son of a neighbour.

“If you like to take employment in a public service you are under a duty to behave in an exemplary manner,” the Magistrate said to the defendant. “The people of Christchurch are entitled to expect that indecencies will not be committed on bus passengers by drivers. It is the Court’s duty to consider the public interest, and you are therefore sentenced to six months imprisonment on each charge. This is the minimum sentence 1 can possibly impose.” Mr Glue said that the defendant knew he needed guidance and was willing to take it. The defendant felt a profound sense of shame for the embarrassment he had caused his young children and wife, but she was standing by him ready to make a fresh start. PROBATION A girl, whose name was suppressed, was released on probation for two years and ordered to pay restitution of 565 when she appeared for sentence on two charges of theft. Her counsel (Mr M. J. Glue) said that at the time of the offences the defendant was short of money. She had made an attempt on her life and this appearance in court was her only one. The Magistrate said that the offences arose in unusual circumstances and over the last two years the defendant had punished herself as far as anyone could punish herself. She had been associating with very poor types indeed.

ASSAULT Wayne Anthony Andrew Mackie, aged 19, a soldier, pleaded guilty to charges of assaulting Alan Peter Mehrtens on November 20 and wilfully damaging his car headlight on the same date. He was convicted and fined $3O on the assault charge and $2O on the damage charge.

Sergeant Morgan said that Mackie followed Mehrtens to his car about 10.30 p.m. on November 20. When Mehrtens got into the car Mackie opened the door and kicked him in the side of the face. He then kicked and broke a headlight.

Mackie told the police that he followed Mehrtens because Mehrtens had stolen beer from him some months before. Mackie was ordered to pay restitution of $8.42.

Alan Geoffrey Leggatt, aged 26, was fined $4O for stealing a bicycle valued at $l5 from the New City Hotel on February 24. The defendant was seen riding along St Asaph Street without lights at 9.35 p.m. by a traffic officer, said Sergeant Morgan. When stopped, he walked off and the police were called. Leggatt said he was drunk at the time. THEFT OF RING Suzanne Dawn Gray, aged 19, married (Miss J. M. Manson), was placed on probation for one year from June 16 when she was sentenced on a charge of stealing a ring worth $3O on February 8. Miss Manson said that the offence was a senseless compulsive act committed by a woman of low mentality. DISCHARGED A woman who said she took a pair of pants, a brassiere and a pair of sunglasses from Woolworths, Rotorua, because she got tired of waiting for the attendant, was discharged without conviction under Section 42 of the Criminal Justice Act.

Weki Bennett, aged 56, a shearing hand, pleaded guilty to the offence, which was committed on December 22.

ARMS OFFENCE A young man who fired a .177 calibre air rifle across Cashel Street from the front lawn of a house on October 4 was convicted and fined $5O. He was Richard Alan Carter, aged 18, an apprentice carpenter. Carter pleaded guilty to the charge and to a charge of possessing a firearm without a •permit on the same date, for which he was convicted and fined $lO Sergeant Morgan said that about 4.50 p.m. on October 4 a complaint was received that youths on a Cashel Street front lawn were firing shots about the property. Carter admitted firing a shot which struck a front fence across the street. STOLE JACK On a charge of stealing a hydraulic jack worth $l9 on September 25, Alexander William Anderson, aged 44, a farmhand, was convicted and fined $25. He pleaded guilty. CHARGE DISMISSED A charge-of theft of a sewing machine against Victoria Louise Boivin, aged 29, a housewife, was dismissed for lack of prosecution. TRAFFIC OFFENCES For failing to give way Jack Keelan was fined $2O and disqualified for three months, Manain Brigid Smith was fined $l5 and Marion Catherine Loughlan was fined $lO, with witnesses’ expenses of $6.50. For careless use Wes George Flatman was fined $lO. REMAND Kieron Emery Simms, aged 17, a packer, was remanded to March 11 for a psychiatric report when he appeared on three charges of unlawfully getting into cars and two of unlawfullytaking cars. (Before Mr P. L. Molineaux, S.M.) FINED $lOO Fines totalling $lOO, with disqualification from driving for 12 months, were imposed on Richard Warner Richardson, aged 34, a bushman (Mr D. H. Stringer), on charges of refusing to give a blood specimen and refusing to accompany a traffic officer to the police station. He pleaded not guilty to both charges, which related to incidents on December 18. CHARGES REDUCED | Fines of $25 were imposed on Neville Ivan Poole, aged 26, a retreader, and Bernard Henry I

Argent, aged 19, a labourer, when they pleaded guilty to charges of exceeding 60 miles an hour on the Northern Motorway on November 13. Both defendants, represented by Mr Mr D. H. P. Dawson, had pleaded not guilty to charges of driving at a speed that might have been dangerous. TWO CHARGES Raymond Lester Hopping, aged 42, unemployed (Mr J. Callaghan), was convicted and fined $l5 on a charge of proceeding from a stop sign when the way was not clear, and $lO on a charge of exceeding 30 miles an hour. He pleaded not guilty. (Before Mr H. J. Evans, S.M.) ILLEGAL TICKETS Albert James Stevenson, aged 48, a fruit vendor (Mr B. J. Drake), was convicted and fined $4O when he pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing Illegal lottery tickets. The charge was reduced from one of conducting an illegal lottery, to which Stevenson had previously pleaded not guilty. The Magistrate, who had reserved his decision after evidence had been heard on the major charge last Thursday, said that evidence had shown that Stevenson was caught with the tickets, but that possession did not necessarily mean that the defendant was “conducting” the lottery. DISCHARGED A girl, whose name was suppressed (Mr G. R. Lascelles), was discharged without conviction under section 42 of the Criminal Justice Act when she appeared for sentence on a charge of stealing a wallet containing about $2O. She was ordered to pay witnesses’ expenses of $27.75 and restitution of $2O. CHARGE REDUCED A charge of careless driving causing bodily injury, brought against James Edwin Carr, aged 6d, a factory supervisor (Mr L. M. O’Reilly), was reduced to one of careless driving, and the defendant was convicted and fined $2O and ordered to pay $25.25 witnesses’ expenses. Carr pleaded not guilty to both charges. (Before Mr W. F. Brown, S.M.) FINE AND PROBATION A youth, whose name was suppressed, was admitted to probation for a year and was fined $25 when he appeared . for sen-1 fence on a charge of unlawfully getting into a car on February 18. Mr K. N. Hampton, for the defendant, said that the defendant had had to go to Greymouth to appear in court. He had bought a ticket on the rail-car, but went to a party at which youths who had taken the car offered him a lift to Greymouth.