MAGISTRATE'S COURT Periodic detention for damaging turf

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33442, 25 January 1974, Page 25

MAGISTRATE'S COURT Periodic detention for damaging turf

A youth who broadsided! in a car around two golf courses and a playing field on July 20 and caused damage amounting to $2BO was sentenced to periodic detention for three months and disqualified from driving for one year when he appeared before Mr E. S. J. Crutchley, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. He is lan Eric Stace, aged 18, a factory worker (Mr P. C. M. Straubel). An order for compensation amounting to $l4O was made by the Magistrate on the wil-

ful damage charges. On charges of behaving in, a disorderly manner and careless driving on the samel date, Stace was convicted and discharged without penalty. He had earlier! pleaded guilty to all charges. ! Counsel in his submissions on: penalty, said that Stace had a, good family background and was, a reliable and conscientious; worker. He was the victim of group pressure from his companions and behaved in this way through boyish immaturity. Sergeant R. I. Harlick previously told the Court that Stace caused the damage when he; broadsided his car on greens and, fairways on the Hagley and; Rawhiti golf courses, and on the; playing Helds of Macfarlane Park. , I During the same day his car struck a power pole after it slid on the wet road. Later in | the day he behaved in a disorderly" manner by lifting a carl on to the footpath in Seaview I Road.

DETENTION Barry Gerard McGuire, aged 18. unemployed (Mr D. M. Palmeri, was sentenced to; detention centre training and) disqualified from driving for 18, months when he appeared on I four charges of burglary and one of unlawfully getting into a motor vehicle. The offences were committed on the night of November 29 when the defendant, with others, travelled in a stolen car to several business premises and broke in. taking goods worth $1945. The Magistrate said two of the I burglary offences amounted _to| smash-and-grab raids for which; McGuire could well have been; sent to Borstal. FOUND WITH KEYS Keith Owen Hinds, aged 20. an unemployed factory worker, was released on probation for one year, and disqualified for six months when he was convicted on his plea of guilty to charges of being a rogue and a vagabond. and of driving while disqualified. Senior-Sergeant F. G. Mulcare said the defendant’s vehicle was stopped by a police patrol on December 13. He was found to have in his possession three gloves, and two key rings containing numerous car keys and house keys. He was found to be a disqualified driver. The car he was driving had been unlawfully taken earlier. Hinds told the police he had had an argument with his wife and left with the intention of taking a car. He had had the car keys for some time, and the house ’ keys had been given to him by another person. ASSAULT "I think it proper that you

i should be given the same penalty as your co-offender, the Magistrate told Douglas Bruce Carson, aged 24, a labourer (Mr C. L. Bull), when convicting and fining him $2O on a charge of assaulting Gary Edward Boniface on October 20. Carson was convicted and discharged on a charge of wilfully damaging glassware, valued at SBO. the property of the Aranui Motor Hotel, and was ordered to pay a half-share of the restitution, a total of $4O. He pleaded 'guilty to both charges. Senior-Sergeant Mulcare said I that the offences had arisen during an incident at the Aranui Motor Hotel when Carson and I his co-offender had become involved in an argument over some beer.

THEFT CHARGES On three charges of theft, all' ' from incidents on the same day. .Rita Janis, aged 63, a pensioner; I (Mr B. A. Barren was convicted! and fined $2O on each charge! land ordered to return the! I articles stolen. The defendant pleaded guilty; to charges of stealing clothing ' ;to the value of $4.68 from Wool-; !worths N.Z., Ltd. theft of glass-; ware valued at 54.75, the prop-j jerty of the D.1.C., and theft of a food mincer, valued at $3.48,1 the property of Mason Struthers, I Ltd, on December 24. THEFT OF WHEELS On a charge of stealing three! car wheels worth $5O on January! 18. Paul Stephen Nicholls, aged 19, a cone maker (Mr G. T. 'Mahon), was convicted and fined ' $25. He pleaded guilty. EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL | Raymond Michael Fisher, a carpenter (Mr N. R. W. Davidson), pleaded guilty to a charge ■lot driving with an excessive blood-alcohol concentration 249 mg) on December 15. He was

convicted and lined $2OO and I disqualified from driving for 18; j months. ! (Before Mr W. F. Brown, S.M.) ] I FALSE PRETENCE CHARGES ; Johannes De Jong, aged 32, a ; fitter and turner (Mr M. J. Glue), 'was convicted and remanded in custody to January 31 for sentence when he appeared on three charges. He pleaded not guilty to a charge of obtaining credit by fraud, which was dismissed, and to two charges of false pretence, on which he was convicted. I Evidence was given that De I Jong, who is an Australian citiIzen. had come to New Zealand I with another man. They had 'staved the night at the White Heron Travel Lodge and left i without paying. I On January 14 De Jong had I written two cheques, for a tran- ! sistor radio, and an electric : razor, both obtained from Mason Struthers, Ltd. De Jong said in evidence that he had thought his companion I had paid the hotel bill, and that I he could sign the cheques as his . friend had said he could. Senior-Sergeant Mulcare said 1 lhe police would seek a deport- ‘ ation order. ■ ATTEMPTED FALSE PRETENCE Stephen John McMahon, aged I 18, unemployed (Mr M. J. Glue) was remanded on bail to Janu- • iary 31 for sentence when he ■ I appeared on two charges of /attempted false pretence. McMahon changed his plea II from not guilty to guilty. >1 Senior-Sergeant Mulcare said I’l that on January 21 the defendant i had presented a cheque from a -; stolen cheque book at Beath.‘ JI at Riccarton in payment for t I shirt valued at $4.75. He had earlier that morning l attempted to cash the samt 11 cheque at another shop.

| The defendant admitted attempting to cash the cheque. He said it had been given to him and he had been told to cash it. He realised it did not belong to ’ the person who had given it to ■; him.