magistrates court Fifteen months gaol for burglary

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33077, 18 November 1972, Page 17

magistrates court Fifteen months gaol for burglary

Fifteen months imprisonment was imposed on John /Alexander Greer, aged 31, a warehouseman, when sentenced by Mr H. J. Evans, SJrf., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday on charges of burglary and false pretences. Greer (Mr L. G. Holder), had admitted burgling a bouse in Opawa Road on October 26. and obtaining $8529 by a false pretence on November 2. At a previous hearing, when Greer was convicted, Sergeant R. I. Harlick said that a record player and radiogram worth $BO had been taken from the house. Greer admitted selling the articles to a second-hand dealer.

On November 2, Greer falsely represented to the pay clerk of Dalgety New Zealand, Ltd, that he was authorised to pick up the pay Of Mervyn Arthur Bryant, and obtained $85.29 in this way.

The defendant’s explanation for the offences was that on both occasions he was aubstantially under the influence of liquor, Mr Holder said.

Little, if any, attempt had been made to hide the offence of false pretences, which was certain to be detected. The offences showed a lack of maturity rather than criminal intent-

“I am altogether unable to avoid the conclusion that the sentence must be imprisonment,” the Magistrate said.

A term of imprisonment must be imposed because of the seriousness of the offences, the defendant's previous bad record, and his lack of response to other sentencing measures, he said. Fifteen months imprison-

ment was imposed on Greer for the burglary and six months for the false pretence, the terms concurrent. BURGLARY Mark Peter Peacock, aged 29, a timber worker (Mr R. F B. Perry), was sentenced to periodic detention for six months on a charge of burgling the premises of Bennetts Butchery, on November 1. He had ' previously pleaded guilty and been convicted. Mr Perry said the decision by Peacock and his accomplice to commit the burglary had been made on the spur of the moment. The offence invited detection. PERIODIC DETENTION On a charge of driving while disqualified on June 16, having previously been convicted of the same offence, Brian Francis Johns, aged 26, a driver’s assistant (Mr P. L. Woodward), was sentenced to periodic detention for six months and disqualified from driving for another year. He had previously pleaded guilty and been convicted. TRAFFIC OFFENCES Craig Collin Petone Carter, aged 31, a foreman (Mr G. T. Mahon), was fined $lOO when sentenced on a charge of refusing to give a blood specimen on November 8. On a charge of refusing to accompany a traffic officer to a police station he was ordered to pay costs of $5. Carter had previously pleaded guilty to the charges, been convicted, and disqualified from driving for 18 months. DANGEROUS DRIVING Two 18-year-old students, Brian Patrick Manley, and Jonathan Kent Holliday (Mr T. Sissons), were convicted and fined $3O and disqualified from driving for six months on charges of driving in a manner which might have been dangerous. Both had pleaded not guilty to charges of driving recklessly on the University of Ham right-of-way on July 25. After the evidence had been heard, the Magistrate reduced the charges. THEFT OF RADIO Pierre Mervyn Downs, aged 18, a storeman, was put on probation for one year and ordered to pay $2O towards the costs of prosecution when sentenced on a charge of theft of a $25 radio. He had previously pleaded guilty and been convicted. (Before Mr E. S. J. Crutchley, S.M.) THEFT CHARGES Brian David Hatcher, aged 23, a workman, was convicted and

remanded on bail to November 24 for a probation officer’s report and sentence on pleading guilty to charges of theft of a racing cycle, valued at $65, and a car, valued at $3BO

Sergeant R. S. Morgan said that the defendant and another person had stolen the car from Mays Road on January 18. The car was recovered, stripped of many parts, in Harewood. Restitution of $lB7 was sought for the missing parts. On January 19, the defendant had stolen the cycle with another person, who had sold it in July to a second-hand dealer. The defendant received no money from the sale. Sergeant Morgan said. The other person, Stephen Wayne Uren, aged 21. a painter, pleaded guilty to a charge of theft of the racing cycle, and to two charges of false pretences. He was convicted and remanded on bail to November 24 for a probation officer’s report and sentence.

The Magistrate ordered that Uren be medically examined for periodic detention-centre training. Sergeant Morgan said the racing cycle—sold by Uren to a second-hand dealer—had been recovered.

On July 6, a cheque book had been stolen from a car parked in Longfellow Street, and a cheque was later cashed by Uren to obtain four gallons of petrol and $37.40 from Hagley Auto Centre, Ltd. HONESTY-BOX THEFT Two young men who, "for a prank,” stole a newspaper honesty box valued at $2O were discharged without conviction under section 42 of the Criminal Justice Act, and ordered to pay $5 court costs. The men. Lyndsay David Black, aged 19, a coach builder, and Michael Raymond Pimley, aged 21, a sheetmetal worker, pleaded guilty. A third person has appeared in the Children’s Court. The defendants said they had been drunk at the time of the offence. They had taken the honesty box for a prank and had intended returning it the next morning. REFUSED ORDER Roger Irwin Meaclem. aged 23, a truck driver (Mr D. J. R. Holderness). was sentenced to a further month at the Adult Periodic Detention Centre when he pleaded guilty to a charge of refusing to obey a lawful order given by an assistant warden at the centre THEFT OF CLOTHING Ethel Robinson, aged 54, a married woman, pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing a shirt and cardigan worth $9.50 from her employer, Lane, Walker, Rudkin, Ltd. on October 12. She was convicted and fined $3O.