Magistrate’s Court MONEY TAKEN FROM CHARITY JAR

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32783, 7 December 1971, Page 20

Magistrate’s Court MONEY TAKEN FROM CHARITY JAR

“This must have been the lowest • thing you’ve ever done,” Mr E. S. J. Crutch|ey, S.M, told Peter George Ngamo when sentencing him yesterday to six months periodic detention on a charge of theft of $2O in coins, the proceeds of a donation jar for the Cerebral Palsy School. Ngamo, a 31-year-old carpenter (Mr M. A. Bums), had previously pleaded guilty to the charge.

Mr Bums said that drink bad played a large part in Ngamo’s offending and that the donation jar had been taken from the bar of one Lyttelton hotel and the money used to buy liquor in another hotel. >. Ngaibo had spent 10 of the last 13 years in penal institutions but to no effect, Mr Bums said. The Magistrate said that it would probably be of assistance both to Ngamo and the community if Ngamo was kept occupied and under control at times he would otherwise spend in hotel bars.

FATAL COLLISION Lucy Elaine Patterson Barker, a widow, aged 68 (Mr R. J. B. Perry), pleaded guilty to a charge of causing the death of two persons by carelessly using a motor-car. She was convicted and fined $7O and disqualified from driving for one vear. Sergeant W. J. Nlcholl said that at 3.50 p.m. on August 16 the defendant was driving her car on Cadogan Street, Sydenham, when she collided with another crossing Cadogan Street from her right. The other car rolled over. Two passengers in the other car, Eileen Mary Willoughby and George Arthur Robertson, died of serious head Injuries before the ambulance arrived. The defendant told the police that she did not see the other vehicle at all. Mr Perry said that the defendant could remember neither the accident nor the events immediately before it She had been driving for SO years without any incident. “The results of this accident could hadly have been worse, but the actual carelessness involved was not of a gross nature,” he said.

“Since the accident, the defendant, who la fully aware of the terrible nature of the consequences, has resolved never to drive again,” he said. The Magistrate said the consequences had been out of all proportion to the degree of carelessness involved. “The lack of care here was no greater than occurs in hundreds of incidents all over New Zealand every day,” he •aid.

The defendant’s very good previous driving record would stand her in good stead on the question of penalty, he said. INDECENCY CHARGES

Two men found in the back seat of a car parked on a sandy track near Waimalri Beach admitted having performed indecent acta on each other, the Magistrate was told. One man (Mr R. H. Buchanan), and the other man (Mr R. L. Kerr), each pleaded guilty to charges of indecent assault of the other and of permitting the other to perform an indecent act on him. They were convicted and remanded on ball to December 13 for sentence. “Until the full details of the defendants' backgrounds are known it is probably proper to make an Interim order for suppression of name,” the Magistrate said. “That is, of course, no indication of what might finally happen,” he said.

In explanation, one man had told the police he thought his actions stemmed from emotional loneliness. He said he did not think that anyone could have been offended by them and he had assured himself that the other defendant waa over 21 years of age. The other defendant made no explanation. CANNABIS OFFENCE

“The wise, sensible person has nothing to do with the drug,” the Magistrate told Gloria Starr, aged 22 (Mr I. J. D. Hall), who appearing for sentence on a charge of smoking cannabis at Gisborne. She was released on probation for one year and ordered to work and reside as directed.

Mr Hall said that the large supply of drugs found at Gisborne was brought back from Vietnam by the man Starr was associating with. It was only at the end of the association with this man that ahe smoked the drug: alnce this time she has had no interest in the drug. The association with this person was now terminated.

The Magistrate said the defendant had no previous convictions and had nothing to do with the supply of the cannabis. THEFT AND WILFUL DAMAGE

Because a mechanic would not repair his car the defendant damaged a petrol pump and tractor and stole a spanner, the Court was told.

David John Nash, aged 19, unemployed, pleaded guilty to charges of theft and wilful damage. He was fined $4O and ordered to pay restitution of $2. Sergeant Nlcholl said that the defendant was a passenger in a car which was stopped by a traffic officer. A ticket was Issued for repairs to be done to the steering, but a mechanic at RoUeston refused to do the repairs because the garage was dosed.

Nash told the police he was mad with the garage proprietor and broke off the hands of the petrol pump in spite. He then broke off the pump spout and pulled out the wiring from a tractor: he also took a spanner valued at $3. THEFTS FROM CARS Kevin Horne, aged 17, a moulder (Mr A. J. Forbes), was remanded on bail until December 13 when he pleaded guilty to five charges of theft from can in Sullivan Avenue on November 11 and November 14. He was ordered to be medically examined for detention centre. Sergeant Nlcholl said radios, rugs, tools and an opossum skin were taken from the cars. The property was valued at $B4. THEFT OF CYCLE As the defendant was trying to sell a stolen cycle to a shop proprietor, he was approached by the owner, the Court was told. Barry Leonard Clarke, aged 21. unemployed (Mr R. F. B. Perry), pleaded guilty to stealing a cycle valued at $l5. He was fined $25. Sergeant Nlcholl said the defendant took the cycle from Gloucester Street and tried to sell it at a nearby cycle shop. He told the police he wanted to ride it home, but then decided to sell it to pay for his board.

Mr Perry said the offence was committed 11 days after Clarke was admitted to periodic detention.

TOOK CAR Richard Stanley Babbege, aged 26, a clerk (Mr J. R. Milligan), was remanded on ball until December 13 when be pleaded guilty to unlawfully taking a car on November 28. Sergeant Nlcholl said the defendant was apprehended in St Asaph Street and said the car belonged to his mother. It had been taken from West Melton and had been damaged when it ran Into a gorse bush. THEFT OF MILK Because he felt thirsty after having a few been, the defendant stole a bottle of milk from Pages Road, the Court was told. James Cecil Baushan. aged 19, unemployed, pleaded guilty to a

charge of theft on December 5. He was fined $2O.

Sergeant Nlcholl said the defendant was seen acting suspiciously at 3.30 a.m. and the milk bottle was found in a nearby car.

DISCHARGED Andrew Graham Bell, aged 17, an apprentice blacksmith, was discharged without conviction under section 42 of the Criminal Justice Act and ordered to pay $2O towards the cost of prosecution, when he appeared for sentence on a charge of stealing a book valued at $l.lO. The Magistrate said It was a small, magpie kind of stealing. The probation report said the defendant was showing off and trying to be smart in front of his friends when he took the book from Auckland Airport. Bell had made a considerable effort to improve himself since starting an apprenticeship. OFFENCE WITH AIR PISTOL Grant Simonsen aged 21, unemployed, was released on probation for two years when he appeared for sentence on charges of presenting a .22calibre air pistol and unlawfullv getting into a motor car and two charges of theft. He had previously pleaded guilty. The Magistrate said that the presentation of the pistol was a serious matter.

‘lt was a most alarming thing for the young woman into whose car you climbed. You are probably lucky that she acted In a most prudent way and the mat ter did not get out of hand," he said.

"Taking into account your mental state at the time, the Court might be justified in dealing with you by way of probation on this occasion.” A special condition of the probation was that Simonsen live and work where directed by the probation officer. BLOOD-ALCOHOL CHARGE Brian Stephen Taylor, aged 21, a plasterer (Mr P. J. Headifem. pleaded guilty to a charge of driving with an excessive bloodalcohol content. He was convicted and fined $l5O and disqualified from driving for one year.

Sergeant Nlcholl said Taylor was stopped as he turned off the Auckland motorway at Wlri. A blood sample showed 182 milligrams of alcohol to 100 millilitres of blood.

Mr Headifen said Taylor had not stopped earlier for the police car because he had seen onlv the red, flashing light and had not identified the vehicle.

Taylor had thought It was a light on a tow truck being driven by a friend who was trying to play a practical joke on him.

(Before Mr K. H. J. Headifen, S.M.) ASSAULT

Gregory Thomas Dolan, aged 18. a workman (Mr K. N. Hampton), and Jeffrey Gordon' Meagher, aged 22. a carpenter (Mr E. T. Higgins), were each convicted and fined $2O on a charge of assaulting Durham Stuart Ogilvie on July 9. A similar charge against Mathew Colin Kirkwood, aged 18, an apprentice carpenter (Mr G. R. Lascelles), was dismissed. The three defendants pleaded not guilty. The payment of $5 costs and $l5 witnesses’ expenses was ordered In respect of the two defendants convicted.

Mr S. J. Wilson, a Christchurch pharmacist, has been elected president of the Pharmaceutical Society ‘ of New Zealand. He is the first Christchurch man to gain the post in 17 years, and only the fourth from Canterbury since the society began in 1881. Mr Wilson is a fellow of the society, and was a member of its council for nine years. He is also a former Canterbury branch president.