MAGISTRATE’S COURT Nine months gaol on 15 fraud charges

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32880, 1 April 1972, Page 20

MAGISTRATE’S COURT Nine months gaol on 15 fraud charges

Imprisonment for a term of nine months was imposed on Michael James York, aged 35, unemployed (Mr A. K. Grant), when sentenced by Mr W. F. Brown, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court on Thursday on 15 charges of fraud. York had previously pleaded guilty to the charges, which involved the obtaining of liquor worth $686, vegetables worth $563, and accommodation worth $174. York had had the liquor and vegetables delivered to addresses about Christchurch where he collected them. He then sold the vegetables for more money to buy liquor. “I am satisfied that the only appropriate sentence in this case is one of imprisonment,” the Magistrate said. “There was a considerable amount of deception practised, and the deception was the result of dishonesty.” The Magistrate said he was not prepared to accept Mr Grant’s submission that York should be remanded for. an examination under the Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Act. “He must be sentenced appropriately in the public interest,” the Magistrate said. “In this case, the criminal law should take its course.” THEFT FROM STORE Sidney Frank Toon, aged 49, a cargo checker, was convicted and fined $2O when he pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing a pair of women's briefs and a packet of chops worth $1.20 from Woolworth’s, Ltd, on March 29. INTENT TO INJURE A motorist saw a man beaten unconscious, then punched and kicked as he lay on the ground. Sergeant A. N. Waugh told the Court when Paddy Keelan Oneroa, aged 26, a welder, appeared on a charge of assault with intent to injure. Oneroa, who was not represented, pleaded guilty, and was remanded on bail to April 10 for a probation report and sentence. Sergeant Waugh said the motorist saw Oneroa assault his victim, a man aged 22, on the bank of the Avon River on March 23 at 1.20 a.m., and reported the matter to the police. “The motorist saw the man knocked to the ground, and while the victim was unable to resist Oneroa kicked him In the ribs,” said Sergeant Waugh. “Oneroa then went to another car and returned to grab the victim’s clothing by one hand and punch him several times In the face. “Oneroa then kicked his victim in the ribs, under the chin, and repeatedly on the face with what appeared to be a boot.” When Interviewed, Oneroa had admitted throwing the young man into the Avon River. This was to revive him—and he had also been retrieved from the river, Oneroa had told the police. Oneroa had said he had thought the man had stolen something. The victim had been admitted to hospital unconscious, with facial injuries and bruises to the back. He was later discharged. FOUR CHARGES Annette Jean Siataga, aged 18, a factory hand, was remanded on bail to April 7 when she pleaded guilty to charges of escaping from police custody, wilful obstruction, resisting the police, and obscene language. Sergeant Waugh said that Siataga was in the company of another person arrested in Cathedral Square at 11.10 p.m. She had shouted and screamed at the police, and had pushed betwen the police and the person being arrested. When arrested and placed in the police car, Siataga had jumped out, but had been chased and caught. CREDIT BY FRAUD Gaye Evelyn Hunton, aged 23, unemployed, was released on probation for 18 months and ordered to pay restitution of $24 when sentenced on a charge of. obtaining credit for $36 by fraud and a charge of stealing on March 16 crockery, linen, and kitchenware worth $lOO. The defendant had previously pleaded guilty and been convicted. “If you offend again on a

charge of dishonesty, it is almost certain that you will have to undergo a term of imprisonment,” the Magistrate said. FINED $lOO On a charge of careless driving causing injury on January 8, Arthur Gempton, aged 17, a warehouse assistant, was fined $lOO and disqualified from driving for two years. Gempton, appearing for sentence, had previously pleaded guilty. The injured person was a 13-year-old girl passenger in his car. The Court had previously been told by Detective Sergeant J. G. Howell that Gempton’s car had veered on to the wrong side of the road and had struck a pole. The passenger suffered severe leg injuries, BURGLARY John Parson, aged 18, an unemployed press operator (Mr A. K. Grant), was put on probation for a year on charges of unlawful taking of a bicycle and buglary of a house. BURGLARY CHARGES John Skurr, aged 19, a fabric layer (Mr E. T. Higgins), was further remanded to April 7 for a medical examination with a view to his being sentenced to attend a detention centre on three charges of burglary and one of possessing a prescription poison. DETENTION CENTRE Appearing for sentence on a charge of theft, a charge of theft as a servant, two charges of obtaining credit by fraud, and seven charges of false .pretences, Michael Anthony Burrows, aged 19, unemployed, was sentenced to detentioncentre training at Walkeria. The offences occurred In the North Island between November and February, and at Plcton in MarCh ' CHARG ES

“You will be released on probation for a year on the conditions that you take out a prohibition order, abstain completely from drinking, and do not own a motor-vehicle during this period,” the Magistrate told Desmond Charles Cassidy, aged 21, a lino layer (Mr D. J. Hewitt). “It |s clear that you have a problem with alcohol, he said. Cassidy was appearing for sentence en. charges of , disqualified driving and driving with an excessive alcohol concentration. . ... . . He was also disqualified from driving for nine months from June®, when his present term of disqualification ends, and fined $l5O, and ordered to pay medical expenses of $10.50. THEFT FROM MOTELS Elaine Hula Bell, aged 17, unemployed, was put on probation for a year and ordered to make restitution of $24 when sentenced on a charge of stealing crockery, kitchenware, and linen worth $lOO from the Bush Inn Motels on March 16, and obtaining $36 credit by fraud. The Magistrate said the defendant was a first offender and had probably learnt her lesson as a result of being apprehended. She would be given another chance STOLE 40 RECORDS “You are old enough to know that this was dishonest conduct,” the Magistrate said, when fining Carl James Dyhrberg. aged 25, a sales representative (Mr P. F. Tempero), $6O on a charge of stealing 40 records worth $l6l from Kerridge Odeon Sales and Service, Ltd. Dyhrberg pleaded guilty. Sergeant R. S. Morgan said the head office of the firm in Auckland sent a representative to Investigate deficiencies in the record stock. Dyhrberg had admitted taking records from the stock and selling them to friends for $2 each. All the property had been returned. Mr Tempero said that Dhyrberg had been employed to sell calculators. He became aware of the pilfering of records that had been occurring, and helped himself also. DEFERRED SENTENCE A woman whose name was suppressed (Mr P. F. Whiteside) was placed on deferred sentence for six months when she appeared on four charges of false pretences and one of attempted false pretences. The Magistrate said that she would be discharged without conviction provided she was of good behaviour, reported to the probation service, and paid restitution of $29 and medical costs, FORGED SIGNATURE Rosalie Joyce Knox, aged 21, ■ a housewife (Mr E. T. Higgins), ■ pleaded guilty to charges . of forging a cheque and obtaining t $42 by false pretences from the

Bank of New Zealand on January 20. Sergeant Waugh said that Knox opened an Army allotment cheque addressed to the previous occupant of her house. She forged the signature of this >erson at the Bank of New Zealand and obtained the money. Knox was convicted and remanded on bail to April 7 for sentence. (Before Mr F. G. Paterson, SJ4.) PROBATION FOR RECEIVING WEAPONS Patricia Te Ao Tu Te Hanga Kalpus, aged 48, a housewife, was placed on probation for two years and ordered to pay witnesses’ expenses of $59 when sentenced on a charge of receiving antique weapons valued at $l3O. Kalpus said the probation report mentioned a complaint by the Child Welfare Division about neglecting the health of her young children in 1971: she disputed this vigorously. When she got the items, she had not known they had been stolen said the defendant. She had at her home many objects 'riends 10 by grateful J' oun S „ TI 1? Magistrate said there b® n 0 fine because the would suffer. He invited Kalpus to pay par* t 0 ber ™ d^e a wraLS E ea ? n M 1 a *nd bayonet bSJg from a $l5OO burglary at NeUram t».,. C P J ?! RGE assault Patatuhora Percy Hakarala, aged 22, unemployed, was put on probation for a year when sentenced on a charge of assault. The charge w£ a jotat 0I ?® , . a . man named Davey who failed to appear. Conditions of probation are that Hakaraia takes out a prohibition °I d «r ? nd lives and works as directed. Hakarala said he still did not remember assaulting the comSlainant, and apologised if he ad done so. For the last few months, he said, he had been I'Yjng, to “quieten down” and had dissociated himself from a he had «?u a o? d h ’™“ sswarawS when he failed to appear for sentence on a charge of assault. Senior-Sergeant F. G. Mulcare ••id toat J>?vey had failed to report on ball on March 28. His address had been given as the Christchurch City Mission, but no trace had been found of him there. (Before Mr H. J. Evans, S.M.) . BURGLARY Christopher Raymond Field, aged 19, a painter (Mr G. R. Lascelles), was disqualified from driving for 12 months and put on probation for 18 months when sentenced on a charge of burglary. He was also ordered to pay wltnrases’ expenses of $2l, Field had earlier pleaded not guilty to a charge of burglary of a house on August 9. Mr Lascelles had said Field had not been a willing party to the offence, and before sentence was Eassed the Magistrate agreed to ear a sworn statement from the defendant on his part in it. . Field s_aid he had been asked to test drive a truck for a cooffender who was disqualified from driving. A third offender went with them to Locksley Avenue, where It was suggested that they enter a house. “I said I didn’t want anything to do with itA Field said. They had driven away to Sumner, but returned about 9 pm. The other two had left the truck and entered the house. didn’t know what to do, so I drove the truck away and parked it,” said Field. He had waited about five to 10 minutes until the others had returned. “I said I didn’t want to receive anything from the burglary,” Field said. A condition of his probation is that Field not associate with anyone of whom the probation officer does not approve. He was granted a licence to drive during his working hours. CHARGE OF ASSAULT Trevor Benjamin Keats, aged 18, an apprentice lithographer (Mr M. A. Burns), was fined §3O for assaulting Peter Richard Jackson, on Christmas Eve. Keats defended the charge on the basis that three blows he had struck to Mr Jackson’s face had been in self-defence. Mr Jackson suffered bruising and a cut to the left eye whicE required three stitches. Before passing sentence, the Magistrate said that the manner in which an ordinary collision had got out of hand reflected very little credit on those concerned. He described Keats’s manner as a witness as "honest and articulate,” but said he could not accept that the blows followed legal provocation. "Provocation is a very much overworked word—even on the lips of lawyers,” the Magistrate said.