MAGISTRATE'S COURT Girl to undertake community work

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33446, 30 January 1974, Page 22

MAGISTRATE'S COURT Girl to undertake community work

A 17-year-old girl was ordered to undertake 64 hours of community work, when she appeared before Mr F. G. Paterson, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yes-i terday for sentencing on five! charges of theft of articles' worth 5350 from cars, and a; charge of burgling a Forest j Service hut. It is the first i occasion on which such ai penalty has been imposed ini Christchurch.

The Magistrate said there was no institution in New Zealand where the defendant, Dianna Maureen Murphy (Mr M. J. Glue), could be of service to the community and relieve her boredom.

The defendant was also put on two years probation and ordered to live and wrnrk where directed, because she could not settle and was unreliable at her previous employment. She was also prohibited from obtaining or holding a driver’s licence or personally possessing a motor-car for 12 months. She was asked to pay $2.80 compensation. Mr Glue said that the defendant had recently been placed on probation but had

:no opportunity to respond. He said that the offences i had been committed in the 'company of six other persons and she had been in effect a non-active participant. She had been bored and discontented in Greymouth.

The Magistrate said the deifendant had set out in the ! group deliberately to ofSfend and broke into five motor-cars, forcibly stealing the property.

“You are'starting off after i schooling in a very poor i manner. It is no good your saying. ‘I was only part of the group. I did not do as much as the others.’ You must be responsible for the ’actions of that group,” said The Magistrate. He said he felt that the defendant must have some way of relieving her boredom and he had made special arrangements for her to undertake community work. THEFT OF AERIAL Peter Brian Buxton, aged 30. ’unemployed (Mr P. F. WlilteIslde), was put on 18 months probation, and ordered to undertake a total of 72 hours of community work when lie appeared for sentencing on a charge of theft of a television aerial, valued at $12.00, while a servant of Television Installation and [Service Company, Ltd. ’ “Tills is so that you can restore to the community and to your own image some measure of self respect,” said the Magistrate.

Mr Whiteside said the defendant stole and installed the aerial for the sum of $4O and had kept the money. He said the defendant was under pressure financially because he had separated from his wife and children in England and was sending money to them. He had received a letter from his wife saying she was in serious financial difficulties and was very short of money. He said the defendant had paid restitution. The Magistrate said that the defendant was charged with a serious type of theft which carried heavy penalties. “You will realise that every employer must trust an employee ... it is this trust which you have broken.” (Before Mr K. H. J. Headifen, S.M.) ESCAPE FROM CUSTODY A youth who escaped from the custody of a constable after being arrested in the Bishopdale Shopping Centre on January 10 for using insulting language was convicted and fined a total of $l5O. He Is Kevin Robert Birch, aged 17, a workman. Birch pleaded guilty to using insulting language and escaping from the custody of Constable Mark Vaughan Fernandez. Sergeant R. I. Harlick said that a large crowd of youths had gathered at the shopping centre by 8.15 p.m. Birch used the language complained of when he was asked to move away.

Birch ran for about 300 yards before he was apprehended by a member of the public. THREE CHARGES

Paul Dennis Stevens, aged 21, a freezing worker (Mr R. B. Leetei, pleaded guilty to charges of unlawfully taking a car

I worth $5700 on January 13, steal- ■ ' Ing a binocular worth $44 on the ‘ same date, and stealing a trans-1 ceiver radio worth $191.50 on I December 17. He was convicted and re- < manded on bail to February 5 for sentence. FALSE DECLARATION Patricia Mary Ladbrook, aged 35, a clerk (Mr P. Guild), was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence within 12 months if called on and to payrestitution of $694.10, when she pleaded guilty to a charge of making false declarations for a social security benefit. Sergeant Harlick said that between October. 1972. and Mav,

1973, the defendant made 11 false declarations, stating she was unemployed when she was working. He said she claimed $694.10. Mr Guild said the defendant made the declarations to enable her to support her three children. She was going to have an operation and knew she would be off work for some time. HOKITIKA OFFENCES Desmond Ron Schroder, aged: 17, a sawmill hand (Mr M. J. Glue), pleaded guilty to two charges of burglary at Hokitika on January 18. He was convicted and remanded on ball to February- 1 for sentence. Senior Sergeant F. G. Mulcare said Schroder took three crates of beer from one building and 15 bottles from the other. Restitution of $16.45 was sought by the police. BURGLARY Ronald Leslie Olsen aged 40. a hospital patient iMr P. F. IVliiteside), was convicted and remanded on ball to February 20.

(When he pleaded guilty to a 'charge of burglary of McKays Hire Service at Ferry Road. ; Sergeant Hurlick said the defendant entered the building I through a louvre window and istole $613.76 of property. The ’property has been recovered. When asked why he did it by (the police, he said he was drunk at the time and did not know’ I what he was doing. OBSTRUCTED FOOTPATH Karl Stone, aged 16. an appren- ’ tice motor mechanic, was con-1 victed and fined $5O on a charge of obstructing the footpath in j Cathedral Square on January 25. i He pleaded guilty.

WILFUL DAMAGE Garry David Roberts, aged 21. a wire worker, was convicted ’and fined $lOO and ordered to pay restitution of $3O when he i pleaded guilty to a charge of wilfully damaging a glass window. ’ Sergeant Hurlick said that the defendant was walking past the Carlton Hotel on January 25 (when he turned and pushed in a window, causing $3O damage., SHOPLIFTING On a charge of stealing articles worth $1.82 from Woolworths. Ltd, on December 28. Elsie Marie Jones, aged 50. a married woman, was convicted and remanded oh ball to February 5 for sentence. She pleaded guilty. EXCESSIVE BLOOD-ALCOHOL Charles Phillip Tait, a painter, was convicted on his plea of guilty to a charge of driving with an excessive blood-alcohol

i concentration <209 mg.). He was • fined $l5O, ordered to pay medi- ■ cal expenses of $11.50. and dis- . qualified for 18 months.