MAGISTRATE’S COURT Youth admits using heroin

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32971, 18 July 1972, Page 17

MAGISTRATE’S COURT Youth admits using heroin

The defendant, found drug-i ged, told the police that it| was costing him $l5 a day! to buy heroin. Detective: ; Senior-Sergeant J. G. Howell said in the Magistrate’s Court ! yesterday. Appearing before Mr. F. G. Paterson, S.M., Malcolm jMervyn Page, aged 18, a gardener, pleaded guilty to! charges of being in possession ■of heroin and a needle and I syringe for administering the

[narcotic. He was remanded on bail to July 24. Detective Senior-Sergeant Howell said that Page admitted administering the narcotic one hour before the arrival of the police. Page said he had been taking the drug for two months and continued using it because he felt his doctor was not giving him sufficient medication. TWO YEARS GAOL

Brian Leslie Samuel Bone, aged 34, unemployed (Mr R. F. Powell), was sentenced to two years imprisonment when he appeared for sentence on a charge of burgling Panne*’si Footwear, Ltd, Casnel Street, and stealing four pairs of shoes worth $135 on May 29. The Magistrate said that Bone had a list of convictions for theft and drunkenness, and had had every form of assistance from the probation service and from hospital authorities for his alcoholism. Bone had been before the courts 10 times in the last 12 months and had been fined each time. Bone was ordered to make restitution of $135 at the expiration of his prison sentence. 18 MONTHS GAOL William Roberts Woodcock, aged 61, retired, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment when he appeared for sentence on a charge of indecently assaulting a 15-year-old girl on July 4. The Magistrate said that he could not consider the defendant’s plea for a suspended sentence, as the offence was not isolated. As the defendant had apeared on similar charges since 1937, he could have no further liberty. ESCAPE FROM HOSTEL A prisoner who was transferred to the Opawa Pre-Release Hostel from Paparua Prison made up his bed as though he was in it and escaped through a window to visit his girl-friend, the Court was told when Bernard John Peter Jordan, aged 29, a prison inmate, pleaded guilty to escaping from custody on July 14. Jordan was remanded in custody to July 24. Sergeant Dalzell said that Jordan was sentenced to four years gaol in 1969 and was transferred to the pre-release hostel on June 14. When recaptured after his escape Jordan told the police he had decided to leave the hostel for good. DANGEROUS DRIVING Alan Charles Stechman, aged 21, a waterside worker (Mr R. F. Powell), pleaded not guilty to driving in a dangerous manner on May 6. He was convicted and fined $lOO and disqualified for nine months from July 31. Sergeant N. Mcßae said that persons removed from a house in England Street turned on the police and bottles were thrown. He was speaking to one youth when he heard the roaring of a car engine and saw a car heading straight at him. He stepped back and the car swerved away, missing him by about three feet. The car again drove at him and he again leapt back.

The witness said that an attempt was made to follow Stechman’s car in a police, car, but motor-cyclists weaved to and fro in front and the police were

unable to catch Stechman

Stechman, in evidence, said that a policeman with a dog pushed him towards the gutter and tiie dog then jumped up at him. His wife then told him that the same policeman had kicked her in the leg. “I got mad at that, got into the car and made a U turn and there was a policeman in the middle of the road. I put my foot on the clutch and revved the motor so that he could get out of the way.” The Magistrate said he was satisfied that Stechman was driving in a very dangerous manner, not only towards the police, but to some of the crowd as w’el!. It was fortunate that substantial injury was not caused. ROBBERY CHARGE Henry Kino, aged 24, unemployed, was remanded in custody to July 24 when he appeared on a charge of robbing Frank George Douglas Flint and causing him grievous bodily harm on July 1. No plea was taken. DEPORTATION ORDERED Peter Ronald Way, aged 24, unemployed (Mr E. T. Higgins), appearing for sentence on a charge of unlawfully taking a bicycle on June 27, w ? as ordered to be deported. He was ordered to be held in custody in the meantime. The Magistrate said that Way had been a useless member of the community since he arrived from Australia as a stowaway j on a ship. “It is my firm view that it is I time you were deported. You | have had every opportunity to 'make good in New Zealand,” said the Magistrate. SHOPLIFTING “This has become a pattern and has got to stop: these retail firms are entitled to protection,” the Magistrate told a woman appearing for sentence on eight charges of theft from shops. Elsie Marie Jones, aged 48, a housewife (Mr D. H. P. Dawson), was released on probation for two years and ordered to pay $81.44 restitution. Mr Dawson said that the defendant told the police of the offences and that was to her credit. She had more problems than the average citizen. The Magistrate said it was appreciated by the Court that the defendant had difficulties, but everybody had troubles. There were eight shoplifting offences, and that was extensive. There were previous convictions in 1969 and 1970 THEFT OF SURFBOARD Howard John Alistair Harrison, aged 17 a farm labourer, (Mr G. R. Lascelles), was ordered to come up for sentence within one year if called upon when he pleaded guilty to stealing a surfboard worth $3.20, the property of Allied Plastics, Ltd. Sergeant Dalzell said that Harrison was employed by the complainant firm at the time of the offence. ATTEMPTED THEFT Stephen Richard Musson, aged 18, an apprentice fitter and turner (Mr J. S. Bisphan), was convicted and ordered to pay costs on a charge of attempting to steal a car battery worth $26 from E. W. McDonnell on April 9. He pleaded guilty. Detective Sergeant Howell said that Musson noticed a car parked beside the road at West Melton. He stopped and lifted the bonnet and noticed that the car had a nearly new battery. He took the battery out and had it resting on the bumper when the owner of the car approached and told him to put it back. Mr Bisphan said that the car had been parked for up to a week and the battery was disconnected. It was a foolish offence and there was no sug-

gestion that Musson was a criminal in the making. FINE AND PROBATION Rex Alan Clarkson, aged 20. unemployed, was fined $5O on each of three charges of car conversion, and released on probation for three years. He was ordered to pay restitution of $B4 for damage to a vehicle, and to abstain from alcohol while on probation. DISORDERLY BEHAVIOUR David Dan John McCormick, aged 38 a rigger, was fined $25 on a charge of behaving in a disorderly manner at the Aranut Tavern on July 15. He pleaded guilty. Detective Sergeant Ho* ell said that during a brawl in the lounge bar of the tavern McCormick attempted to poke his fingers into the eyes of another person. RESISTING Ronald Neil Whitley, aged 19. a social security beneficiar>. was fined $lOO and released on probation for 18 months when he appeared for sentence on charges of resisting a constable and wilful damage. Restitution of $llO was ordered The offences occurred on July 2. Whitley was represented by Mr M. J. Glue, who suggested that probation would be a suitable penalty. Mr Glue said that the incident, which ended with the breaking of three plate-glass windows of the Buffalo Hall Society’s premises worth $l5O. arose after Whitley suffered some provocation. The Magistrate said that Whit ley armed himself with two beer jugs to resist arrest. There was a prolonged struggle with the constable (Before Mr K. 11 J. Headifen, S.M.) FOUR CHARGES Graeme Roy Ohlson, aged 18. a warehouseman, was convicted on three charges of driving while disqualified and one of giving false particulars. He pleaded guilty to all charges and was remanded on bail to July 24. DISQUALIFIED DRIVING Hemi James Epiha, aged 19. an apprentice panel-beater (Mr P. F. Temperoi, appeared for sentence on a charge of driving while disqualified. He was released on probation for 18 months and disqualified from driving for 18 months. Mark Earland Thomas, aged 18. a forestry worker (Mr D. M Palmer), appeared for sentence on a charge of driving while disqualified. He was convicted and released on probation for 18 months and disqualified from driving until September 17. 1973 Paul Dennis Stevens, aged 20. a labourer, was again remanded on bail, to July 24, on a charge of driving while disqualified. The remand was ordered to allow a probation report to be completed. DANGEROUS SPEED Terrence John Bryan, aged 17, a factory worker, was convicted and fined $4O and disqualified from driving for six months when he pleaded guilty to a charge of riding a motor-cycle at a speed that might have been dangerous.