MAGISTRATE’S COURT Youths tried to sell encumbered car

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32879, 30 March 1972, Page 13

MAGISTRATE’S COURT Youths tried to sell encumbered car

Two youths who tried to sell a car valued at $920, which was obtained on hire purchase in Auckland, were convicted and remanded in custody to April 6 for sentence when they pleaded guilty in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday to charges of attempting to steal the car. Mr W. F. Brown, S.M., was on the Bench. They are Duncan John McBeth, aged 23, and Bruce Henry Hosking, aged 20, both steel benders. Mcßeth, who was also convicted on a charge of driving while disqualified, to which he had pleaded guilty, was ordered to be medically examined for sentence to the Adult Work Centre. Sergeant A. N. Waugh said the youths tried to sell the car to Papanui Car Sales, on March 28. The manager of the company offered them $450 and asked them to return in the afternoon. He then telephoned the police. When interviewed, the defendant, Mcßeth, said he bought the car in Auckland for $920. After travelling to Christchurch he decided to sell the car and travel to Australia, but he could not find the ownership papers. He was later found to be a disqualified driver, Sergeant Waugh said. The defendant, Hosking, said he travelled from Palmerston North with Mcßeth, who said he owed $5O on the car. He was not aware that Mcßeth owed $895. FALSE STATEMENT A woman who obtained $380.72 from the Social Security Depart" ment between May 12 and November 29 by making a false statement was convicted on her plea of guilty to the charge and remanded on bail to April 7 for sentence. She is Killian May a ““ Sergeant Waugh said the defendant obtained a domestic purposes benefit for *29 a week on tile condition that she earned no more than *l5 a week. She said that she was In recelpt of no earnings. On November 29 the department learned that the defendant was employed full time as a machinist and was earning $35 a ye®k.. She had been paid $380.72 to which she was not entitled.

FALSE PRETENCES Albert James Henderson, aged 34, unemployed (Mr E, T. Higgins), was sentenced to four months periodic detention and released on probation for 16 months for false pretences and attempted false pretences. Henderson had earlier admitted obtaining liquor and money amounting to $184.67 by issuing four valueless cheques and the fifth charge of attempted false pretences. He was ordered to make restitution of $143.03. The Magistrate said Henderson spent about five of the last six years in prison and the latest offences were committed within a few days of his last discharge from prison. CANNABIS OFFENCE

Robyn Helen Edwards, aged 19, an unemployed clerk (Mr M. G. L. Loughnan), was released on probation for 12 months when she appeared for sentence on a charge of possessing cannabis.

At a previous hearing, when she pleaded guilty. Sergeant J. G. HoweU said 0.2 grams of cannabis was found mixed with tobacco in a matchbox in the defendant’s suitcase.

Mr Loughnan said the defendant. a first offender, had led a "fairly difficult life” with “incompatibility in the household." She had gone flatting and drifted into bad company. The conviction for possession of cannabis had given her a sense of self-frustration about gaining employment A sentence of probation would give her the help and guidance she needed, Mr Loughnan submitted. The Magistrate said It was clear the solution to the defendant’s problems was not “resorting to drugs,” which could only have a harmful effect on herself and hn personality. I

FOUR CHARGES Margaret Marla Theresa Monahan, aged 26, unemployed (Mr P. E. Whiteside), was convicted and remanded in custody to April 6, for a probation officer’s report and sentence, when she pleaded guilty to two charges of theft and two charges of obtaining money by false pretences. Sergeant Waugh said that the defendant while staying at the Golden Shears Motel, Ltd, Masterton, took 10 cheque forms from a car. She later paid bills With two $BO cheques and obtained $101.35.

At a hotel in Christchurch the defendant took $lOO from a guest’s wallet. She told the police she' was offered the money by the guest to have sex with him (he was 80 years old). She later admitted the offences. The remaining cheques were torn up, Sergeant Waugh said. Restitution of $210.74 was sought by the police.

NARCOTICS OFFENCE Robin O’Neill, aged 19, a storeman, pleaded guilty to a charge of having cannabis in his possession on March 21.

O’Neill was convicted and fined $l5O. Sergeant Waugh said that a small quantity of cannabis was found in a matchbox when members of the police drug squad executed a search warrant in a flat in Rawhlti Avenue on March 21.

O’Neill told the police he hid the box in the upholstery of a chair when he saw the police arrive. He said he had smoked It on a few occasions.

Mr G. R. Lascelles, who appeared for O’Neill, said the offence was ah isolated one and Involved only a small quantity of cannabis. There were no other factors in his background to give the Court cause for concern.

INSTRUMENTS FOR BURGLARY Bruce Ralph Nicol, aged 19, a farm labourer (Mr M. A. Burns), was released on probation for one year when he appeared for sentence on charges of possessing instruments capable of being used for a burglary and carrying an offensive weapon. Darryl Ivor Wheeler, aged 17, unemployed, who had also pleaded guilty to the former charge, was released on probation for one year. The Magistrate said that if Wheeler had positively committed any offence, Borstal training would be the only course open to the Court.

EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL Mervyn Patrick Cyril Hogan, aged 27, a business manager (Mr L. M. O’Reilly), was convicted and fined $lOO and disqualified from driving for nine months from April 19 when he pleaded guilty to a charge of driving with an excessive blood-alcohol concentration on February 17. Sergeant Waugh ssid that Hogan had an alcohol concentration of 146 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood, DEFERRED SENTENCE Mark Graham Lightowler, aged 17, a workman, was ordered to come up for sentence within one year If called upon when he appeared on a charge of stealing $6.90 from a gas meter on March 21. He had previously pleaded guilty and been convicted. NAME SUPPRESSED A woman, whose name was suppressed, pleaded guilty to stealing a pair of socks and a windjacket of a total value of $6.57 from Woolworth’s (N.Z.), Ltd. on February 26. The Magistrate remanded the defendant to April 12 for a probation officer’s report and a psychiatric report. Her name was suppressed for medical reasons. FINED $2O Peter Maurice Fox, aged 21, a factory hand, was fined $2O when he was sentenced on a charge of unlawfully taking a bicycle worth $45 on March 22, He had previously pleaded guilty and been convicted. (Before Mr H. J. Evans, S.M.) ASSAULT Gray Stephen Jamieson, aged 21, a sales representative (Mr J. E. Wilson), was fined $5O, disqualified for three months from April 12 and ordered to pay witnesses’ expenses of $9.75 when he was convicted on a charge of assault. He pleaded not guilty. The charge was the result of an Incident in Banbury Street on December 5 when it was alleged Jamieson hit Fdwin Evans in the face with his fist. Jamieson said in evidence that he was going to break up a fight and when he grabbed one person and pulled him round he was punched. Jamieson was not motivated by a true desire to break up the affair, said the Magistrate: “He was looking for someone to blood.” EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL I In Ministry of Transport piv-J

secutlons, convictions and fines were entered as follows with Court costs of $5 and medical expenses of $10.50 in each case:— Brian Victor Shann, $2OO, disqualified for IS months (270 milligrams of alcohol to 100 millilitres of blood); James John Hatton, $l5O, disqualified for one year (209); Raymond George Shepperd, $75, disqualified for six months (147); Thomas Alexander McPherson, $l5O, disqualified for one year (192), (medical expenses of $7.50 as during normal working hours); Beniamin William Little, $l4O, disqualified for one year (202). Mr D. J. Griffin, of Wellington, has been appointed head of the Central Institute of Technology Department of Pharmacy. He has. been associated with pharmacy education for more than 12 years, and first joined the institute as a tutor in 1960.