MAGISTRATE’S COURT Burglars took goods worth $4000 in fortnight

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32789, 14 December 1971, Page 12

MAGISTRATE’S COURT Burglars took goods worth $4000 in fortnight

Two young men associated i in a series of burglaries in- ! volving money and goods i worth more than $4OOO were remanded in custody to December 20 for sentence when : they appeared before Mr E. 1 S. J. Crutchley, S.M., in the ' Magistrate’s Court yesterday, i r They are John Henry Pope, aged 21, unemployed (Mr G. : Boot), and Kenneth Graham Hand, aged 26, a painter (Miss J. M. Manson). Pope pleaded guilty to 18 charges of burglary committed between November 29 and December 13, and involving money and goods worth $4088.99. He also pleaded guilty to three charges of theft involving a car radio, rugs, clothing, and tools worth $136.85. The premises burgled were those of the Coach Comer Dairy, Racecourse Dairy, Leithfield Garage, Coach Comer Hamburger Bar, Stonyhurst Timber Company, Ltd, Unit Concrete, Ltd, Country Kitchen Caterers, Ltd, Shirley Intermediate School, Campus Corner Shop, Findlay’s Dairy, B. J. Lee, Tobacconist, Sonnes Foodmarket, Ltd, the shop premises of Brian and Jessie Lee, Wholesale Groceries (Keystores), Ltd (twice), Cowley Dairy, Key Stores, Ltd, Woodsides Foodmarket and Gordon Kinzett. Hairdresser. Sergeant M. Morresey said that most of the offences were committed in shops in the Christchurch area. Doors were jemmied open and cigarettes, groceries, and money stolen. Property worth $1677.14 had been recovered. Pope was interviewed on December 3 and admitted committing the offences with one, sometimes two, accomplices. He said he met some of his old friends on his return to Christchurch and committed the offences with them. Hand pleaded guilty to 14 of the charges of burglary and a charge of unlawfully getting on to a bicycle. PROBATION Michael Junior Brennan, aged 19, unemployed (Mr A. K. Grant), was released on probation for two years when he appeared for sentence on two charges of theft, two of unlawfully getting into cars, and one of unlawfully taking a car. He had previously pleaded guilty. Brennan was also disqualified from driving for two years and ordered to live and work where directed and to make restitution of $2O. The Magistrate said that the offences were committed only a few days after Brennan was released from Borstal. On his release Brennan met a person whom he had known in Borstal and the offences were committed with this other person. “It would seem you certainly

got into bad company and youil present a very difficult and very < anxious problem for the Court," he said. i THEFT AS SERVANT Leslie Charles Farrant, aged < 17, a shop assistant (Mr R. F. . Powell), pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing clothing and , money amounting to $54 from ( his employer between November , 18 and December 3. He was con- ( victed and remanded on bail to i December 20 for sentence. He was directed to undergo- a medical examination to determine his fitness for periodic de- P tention. Sergeant Morresey said that:: the offences were committed while Farrant was employed as J a shop assistant by the New Zealand Farmers’ Co-operative Association, Ltd. Farrant admitted stealing $l5 by shortringing the cash register on two occasions. He concealed articles of clothing under his jacket as he left the premises. CHEQUE OFFENCES Stuart McKay Campbell, aged 19, unemployed, pleaded guilty to a charge of burglary of the factory of W. T. Murray, Ltd, on November 20, and six charges of false pretences. He was comvicted and remanded in custody to December 20 for sentence. Sergeant Morresey said that Campbell took a cheque book when he burgled the premises, and later issued six valueless cheques. Restitution of $137.49 was sought by the police. THEFT FROM EMPLOYER Colin Maurice Gibbons, aged 19, a truck-driver (Mr M. J. Glue), was released on proba- • tion for two years and fined $4O , when he was sentenced on ; charges of stealing 12 bottles of cocktail worth $15.96 from New Zealand Freighters on November 17 and stealing 24 cans I of fruit salad worth $6.22, the ; property of his employer, J. Deyell and Company. Ltd, on November 23. Gibbons had previously pleaded I guilty and been, convicted on | both charges. YEAR’S PROBATION Richard Stanley Rabbege, aged 26, a clerk (Mr J. R. Milligan), was released on probation for , one year and disqualified from 1 driving for six months when he ( was sentenced on a charge of . unlawfully taking a car and a , charge of stealing a headlight rim. The offences were committed 1 on November 28 in the company , of two youths who have appeared in the Children’s Court. INDECENT ACTS The Magistrate made final the interim order for suppression of the names of two men appearing for sentence on charges of indecent assault of the other and of permitting the other to perl form an indecent act on him. , The older man, who was re- • presented by Mr N. H. Buch- ■ anan, was convicted and dis- ‘ charged on the charge of index ! cent assault and convicted and ■ fined $lOO for the other offence. The other defendant, represented by Mr J. F. Burn, was 1 convicted and discharged on the I charge of assault and released on > probation for 12 months on the other charge. DETENTION Kevin Horrie, aged 17, a moulder (Mr A. J. Forbes), was sentenced to four months periodic detention and 12 months probation on five charges of theft from cars. A condition of probation is that Horne returns to his parents to live. Restitution of $l7 for windows

broken during the thefts was i ordered.

The thefts occurred in Sullivan Avenue on November 11 and November 14. Radios, rugs, tools, and an opossum skin, worth a total of $B4, were taken from the cars.

Mr Forbes said that Horne had been attempting to live independently of his parents. Horne stole the rugs to keep warm, as he did not want to ask his family for more help. DANGEROUS SPEED Bruce Edward Tobeck. aged 18.' ; an apprentice carpenter, was‘ I fined $6O, disqualified for one ; year, and ordered to attend three I i traffic lectures, when he pleaded guilty to driving at a dangerous speed in Marine Parade on November 11. Sergeant Morresey said that Tobeck drove at 50 to 60 miles an hour, braked behind slower vehicles, skidded, and went into a slide. He then made a U turn and accelerated back along the road. There were a large number of people and cars in the area.

Tobeck denied the speed, saying his speedometer was showing 40 miles an hour. James Leslie Clinton, aged 18, a bushman, pleaded guilty to a charge of driving at a speed which might have been dangerous. He was convicted, fined $lOO. and disqualified from driving for one year. Traffic Officer D. J. Bartlett

said that Clinton drove his motor-cycle at a speed of 55 miles an hour along New Brighton Road between Locksley Avenue and Bassett Street. Clinton was not wearing a crash helmet at the time. Children were playing on a bus stop passed by Clinton. $4O FINE I Judith Myria Crothall. aged 22, ■ a presser, was fined $4O when she pleaded guilty to charges of wilfully breaking and stealing a beer jug. Sergeant Morresey said that the jug, valued at 97c, was taken from Warner’s Hotel. The defendant smashed it in Cathedral Square. (Before Mr M. C. Astley. S.M.) EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL Thomas Allen Wrathall, aged :37, a watersider (Mr M. J. Glue), , pleaded guilty after the hearing lof prosecution evidence on a ; charge of driving with an excessive concentration of alcohol in his blood. He was convicted and (fined $l3O and disqualified for : nine months. Evidence was given 'that Wrathall had 232 milligrams lof alcohol per 100 millilitres of J blood. DANGEROUS DRIVING ; Malcolm Alan Hodge, aged 17, an apprentice panelbeater (Mr R. J. Aldous), who pleaded not guilty to a charge of driving in • a dangerous manner in the New Brighton car park on August 29, was convicted and fined $4O , and disqualified for 12 months, i Murray Allan Walker, aged 24, I a carpenter (Mr R. N. Hawkesi, - pleaded not guilty to a charge ,of driving in a manner that r might have been dangerous. He was convicted and fined $5O and t disqualified for six months.