SUPREME COURT Defence evidence on burglary charges

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33063, 2 November 1972, Page 10

SUPREME COURT Defence evidence on burglary charges

The trial of three men on charges of burglary and of being in possession of instruments for burglary continued in the Supreme Court yesterday before Mr Justice Haslam and a jury. Ronald Wi McLean, aged 32, a shearer, Peter Kaimoana, aged 33, a carpenter, and Larry Hemi Matthews! aged 21, a plasterer, have pleaded not guilty to joint charges of burglary of two explosives store sheds at Bumham and of being in possession of instruments of burglary at Woodend on September 7. McLean and Kaimoana have pleaded not guilty and Matthews guilty to a joint charge of burglary of the Totalisator Agency Board building at Hanmer Springs on September 7. Mr N. W. Williamson appears for the Crown, Mr M. J. Glue for McLean, and Mr E. T. Higgins for Kaimoana and Matthews. The trial will finish today. ARTICLES FOUND Detective Sergeant D. N. Stewart said that a jersey and a rug had been taped across the front of the safe in the Hanmer Springs T.A.B. before an attempt had been made to blow the safe to muffle the explosion. The force of the explosion had blown the handle off the safe and through a brick wall. Detonators found at the scene were identical to ones found in the car which crashed at Woodend. Detective Sergeant B. A. Ramsay gave evidence of a large number of tools and instruments found in the car which could be used for housebreaking. On the side of the Main North Road opposite the Waikuku School, was found a roll of cordtex detonating fuse. Further north were found a piece of masking tape and a brown leather bag containing 14 sticks of gelignite, a drill bit, and a quantity of gelignite wrapping paper. On September 15, witness said, he questioned Matthews who admitted that he could have been to Hanmer. Matthews had denied that he was with Zac Andrews, Kaimoana and McLean when their car crashed at Woodend. After Matthews had been arrested on a charge of burglary at the Hanmer Springs T.A.8., witness said, he told Matthews that his fingerprints had been found at the point of entry. Matthews had replied: “Not me pal, you’ve got the wrong guy.” “VERY DRUNK” McLean said in evidence that on September 6 he had been drinking during the day and in the evening attended a party where he got very drunk. During the evening, Andrews had borrowed his car to pick up some girls. It was fairly late when Andrews had returned with the car. Andrews had then invited him to go to another party, and he and Kaimoana got in

the car and Andrews drove off.

McLean said that he remembered the car driving round Cathedral Square, and then he went to sleep. The next thing he remembered was Andrews trying to wake him up. Andrews had said: "I have just done a job.”

"It was a little time before I < realised what he meant. Andrews said: ‘l’ve just done a job and it has backfired on me. Let’s take off.’ I took the keys from him and drove off. I drove back towards town and he gave me directions,” McLean said.

"I first noticed that there were cars trying to stop me when Andrews yelled out from the back: ‘There’s a road block on. Go through, you bastard.’ He wanted me to go straight through the cop cars and everything. The car crashed near Woodend. Also in the car were Matthews and Kaimoana,” said McLean.

When he had gone with Andrews in the car he had not known that the tools and gelignite were in the car, said McLean. The tools belonged to Andrews. Zac Hakaria Andrews, a

prison inmate, said that on September 14 he was sentenced in the Christchurch Magistrate’s Court to three years imprisonment on charges which included burglary of the two explosives sheds and , the Hanmer Springs T.A.B. He had borrowed McLean’s car to steal the explosives. When they had sst out for Hanmer Springs, the witness had not told McLean what he was going to do. Witness committed the burglary of the T.A.B. with Matthews. McLean had not entered the premises.

McLean drove on the return trip to Christchurch.

When McLean slowed down on approaching the road block, witness ordered him to "plant his foot.” McLean had not wanted to, and so witness threatened him with a bottle. Kaimoana said in evidence that he drank during the afternoon and evening of September 6 and became "pretty drunk.” He was invited to a party and went to sleep in the car. He was awakened by a car sounding its horn and saw a police car alongside their vehicle. Their car came to a sudden stop, and he struck his head. He opened the door and ran. Constable

itKaa apprehended him. It wfd 11 not until later that he learned > l that the car had been to 11 Hanmer Springs. He den’M going to Bumham to braaM into the explosives sheds. I FURTHER EVIDENCE Matthews said in evidence that he had been picked :ijs by the car driven by Andrews in Cathedral Square about 1.30 am. on September 7, McLean and Kaimoana had been asleep in the back seat. I Andrews had asked him to give him a hand "on tto T.A.B. job” and he had agreed. Witness was the fourth man who rs-n from the car after the cratfi.