MAGISTRATE S COURT Burglar’s threat with sheath knife

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32703, 4 September 1971, Page 5

MAGISTRATE S COURT Burglar’s threat with sheath knife

A man wno burgled a dairy and then threatened a milkman with a sheath knife pleaded guilty in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday to charges of burglary and assault with intent to facilitate his flight after the commission of the crime. Mr W. F. Brown, S.M., convicted the defendant, Kepa Leach, aged 30, a driver (Mr P. N. Duncan), and remanded him in custody to September 10 for sentence. Sergeant R. J. Skilton said that three milk vendors found a window had been broken in the Belladonna Dairy at 187 Fitzgerald Avenue while they were in the area early on August 27. While one of them went to report the matter the others remained on watch outside. A few minutes later they saw a man crouching behind a counter in the shop, and one of them then left to call the police. Leach then came; out of the shop armed with! a sheath knife and; advanced on the remaining! milk vendor, Melville David! Smith. “He threatened Mr Smith with the knife. He told him that if he came any nearer he would ‘do’ him. Mr, Smith continued to back away across the road to delay him until the police arrived;” Sergeant Skilton , said. Leach then entered a! property, on the other side of | the street and soon afterwards was found in bed in the house. Leach told the police he had been drinking and decided to break into the shop across the street to get food and cigarettes. He took the knife and an axe, broke into the dairy, and took some articles to his flat. He was apprehended after going ! back for another load. Articles worth $8.58 were recovered by the police.

ATTEMPTED EXTORTION A man who sent a letter to a woman relative, demanding payment of. $l3O to suppress “important information about her activities,” pleaded guilty to a charge of sending a threatening document with intent to extort money. The man. whose name was suppressed (Mr J. E. Ryan), was convicted and remanded on bail to September 10 for sentence. Sergeant Skilton said that on June 7 the man sent a letter to the woman relative saying he had important information about her activities and those of her husband since 1965. The letter said that the information would not be called advertisable.

In the letter the man said that the woman was responsible for a crime performed on her sister and that he was a member of a young and powerful organisation which could make things difficult for certain sections of society. He demanded payment of $l3O and gave instructions as to the wav in which it should be paid. The man was interviewed five days after posting the letter and freely admitted being responsible. He told the police he would have used the money to bring the woman before the Court for the wrongs she had done to other people.

FORGERY Lawrence lan Geddis. aged 24, a driver (Mr S. G. Erber), pleaded guilty to charges of forging a Post Office Savings Bank withdrawal receipt on July $ and July 7. The amount in-

i volved amounted to $4O. He was ■convicted and remanded on bail ito September 10 for sentence, j Sergeant Skilton said that Geddis admitted forging withidrawals for $5 and $35 on the 'complainant’s pass-book when he J was interviewed on August 27. i Geddis told the police he was : hard up. FALSE PRETENCES Lawrence Cecil Kiesanowski, aged 18, an apprentice carpenter (Mr B. S. McLaughlin), pleaded guilty to charges of theft of a cheque form and of obtaining goods and money worth $lO by false pretences. He was convicted and remanded on bail to September 10 for sentence. (Before Mr P. L. Molineaux, S.M.) SIX WEEKS GAOL John Warwick Walker, aged 20, unemployed (Mr S. H. Stam-ers-Smith), was sentenced to imprisonment for six weeks, to be followed by probation for one year, when he appeared on charges of stealing a vacuum cleaner worth $lO on August 23 and two bed lamps and an electric heater tfbrth $l2 on August 18. He had previously pleaded guilty. The Magistrate said that Walker had an unsatisfactory I record of offending and had j failed to respond to probation. THEFT OF RADIO ; Michael Richard Carragher, ' aged 19. an unemployed work- ■ man, was sentenced to periodic i detention for four months and ' ordered to pay restitution of $37.50 when he was sentenced on a charge of stealing a car radio worth $75 on August 16. Carragher had previously pleaded guilty to the charge, which involved the taking of a radio from a car which he and a companion were using for a trial drive. (Before Mr K. H. J. Headifen, S.M.) ASSAULT “It is one thing to get into a fight because of youf sister, but another thing to go around with a group of people at night looking for trouble on private property,” the Magistrate /said to Martin Gabriel Te Heuheu, aged 21. a lineman (Mr E. T. Higgins), when the defendant appeared for sentence on a charge of assault. A fine of $lOO was imposed, half to be paid to the complainant. The defendant was also ordered to pay $10.50 witnesses’ expenses and $2 medical ex* peases.

Mr Higgins said that all the people involved in the incident had been to a party. The defendant’s sister was assaulted by the complainant and the defendant was out to get him. He later apologised. m The Magistrate said that Te Heuheu had a good record and a first-class probation report. PERIODIC DETENTION Taere Mokaraka, aged 31, unemployed (Mr J. M. Wilson), was sentenced to periodic detention for four months and probation for one year when he appeared for sentence on two charges of false pretences and one of theft. He was also ordered to pay restitution of $350. The offences related to a car valued at $2150 and petrol, food and stolen blankets. (Before Mr H. J. Evans, S.M.) DANGEROUS DRIVING Arthur Browne, aged 54. a male nurse (Mr A. P. C. Tipping), was convicted and remanded in custody to September 8 for sentence on charges of dangerous driving, failing to stop at a stop sign, Tailing to stop after an accident, and failing to ascertain injury. He pleaded not guilty to the charge of dangerous driving. A second charge of failing to stop at a stop sign was withdrawn by leave. Sergeant W. J. Nicholl said that the defendant’s vehicle collided with a car at the intersection of Canon Street and Sherboume Street at 11.40 p.m. on June 12. The defendant was seen by a taxi-driver leaving the scene of the accident. Followed by the taxi-driver, the defendant returned to the intersection and drove past the accident he had caused. He then drove to the intersection of Springfield Road and Holly Road, where he collided with two cars.

Francis Edward Howell, the taxi-driver, said that he followed the defendant’s car. after the first accident, at a speed of about 35 miles an hour. The defendant careered against a power pole in Holly Road and drove through a compulsory stop to Springfield Road, where he collided with two cars travelling in different directions. The defendant was unconscious after the accident. After the evidence was heard, Mr Tipping applied unsuccessfully for the dangerous driving charge to be amended to one of careless use. Remanding Browne in custody, the Magistrate said the possibility of imprisonment arose on the charges the defendant faced.