MAGISTRATE'S COURT Man sold cannabis to "hippie" policeman

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33521, 30 April 1974, Page 7

MAGISTRATE'S COURT Man sold cannabis to "hippie" policeman

A y oung man who . sold cannabis to an undercover constable on January 22 pleaded guilty in the Magistrate's Court yesterday to charges of selling the'narcotic. having it in his possession for the purpose of sale, and having possession ot a pipe for the purpose of using cannabis. He is Barrv Michael Clements, aged 23, a pattern cutter. Clements (Mr G. R. Lascelles t was convicted by Mr F. G. Paterson, S.M..' and remanded on bail to May 6 for sentence after changing his plea from one of not guilty after evidence had been given by two police witnesses. A constable, whose name was suppressed, said in evidence that he had been an undercover agent for the drug squad from August, 1973. to February. 1974. He dressed as a hippie, had long hair and a beard, and wore glasses and beads during this period. He said he was invited to a flat occupied by Clements in Browns Road on January 22. He bought from him a quantity of cannabis, later found to be 8.1 grams, for $3O.

Detective Sergeant C. I. Dalzell said a search warrant was later executed on the house. Two plastic bags containing 26 smaller bags of plant material were found under bushes behind a shed on the property. They were later found to contain 162.6 grams of cannabis.

Other plastic bags, a water pipe, and a matchbox found in the house were later shown to contain traces of cannabis.

BOOKMAKING CONVICTION A man who described himself as a self-employed investment consultant was convicted and fined $250 when he appeared on * charge of bookmaking. He pleaded guilty. He is Gary George Morell, aged 21 (Mr M. J. Glue>

Detective Sergeant T. O. Tozer ■aid that the police executed a search warrant on a flat at 21 Gloucester Street. Thev found the defendant at a table with betting papers, a telephone, and race books.

While the police were there the telephone rang twice and attempts made by the callers to place bets.

Betting slips showed a total of $839 worth of bets had been placed that morning. Mr Glue said that the defendant had recently been injured, and had onlv been engaged in bookmaking on a tentative basis 15 CHARGES Maurice Houkamau. aged 2-4, an unemployed driver iMr M P Boycei. pleaded guilty to 12 rharges of burglary, and charges of theft, unlawfully getting into > car, and failing to report while on probation. He was • onvicted and remanded in custody to May 6 for sentence. Detective Sergeant Tozer told the Court that Houkamau, and the person associated with him tn four of the burglaries, obtained clothing, groceries, money and other articles worth a total of <948.40. Restitution of $762.45 was sought by the police. When interviewed by the police on April 13. Houkamau admitted committing the offences. ll' said he “always d'd this” when he had been drinking. RECEIVING ADMITTED V south, whose name was suppressed in the interim, pleaded guilty to a charge of receiving on April 21 knowing it had been stolen. He was convicted and remanded on bail to Mav 6 for sentence. Detective Sergeant Tozer said the defendant was present in the foyer of the Regent Theatre in Cathedral Square when a bag containing nearly Sl9OO was stolen from the theatre office. The hag was taken to a building site, where it was forced open and the money shared among a number of youths, including the defendant. Four other youths would appear in the Children's Court, •aid Detective Sergeant Tozer Of the stolen money, S3OO had been recovered The defendant was represented by Mr A. W. Robinson. OBTAINED DRUG Charles Julian Suckling, aged 21. an apprentice motor mechanic <Mr G. R. Lascelles), was fined $l5O and released on probation for one tear when he appeared on a charge of obtaining a narcotic by making a false statement to a doctor on April 16. He pleaded guilty. Detective Sergeant Tozer said the defendant had gone to a Cartstchurch doctor and asked tor medical treatment for drug dependence. He was given a pr-scrlption for four methadone tablets. Suckling later told the police he was not addicted to drugs, and admitted the offence. He said he was short of money and obtained the drugs to sell. He rook the prescription to a chemist. and sold the tablets for SlO. Mr Lascelles said the defendant had friends who wanted the tablets No-one except the defendant had come to any great harm. FOUND CHEQUE V man who used a cheque he found in an envelope to try to bus clothes from a shop, pleaded guilty to charges of theft and of trying to defraud by false pretence. Bernard Michael Seymour Minogue. aged 19, an appliance as-

sembler. was convicted on both charges and remanded on bail to May 6 for sentence Detective Sergeant Tozer said that the defendant found a cheque in an envelope dropped at the Merivale Post Office. The defendant signed the addressees name on the back of the cheque, and tried to present it as payment for clothes at a New Brighton shop The shop staff asked for further identification, and the defendant tried to run off. PEEPING TOM On a charge of peering into a house window in Tuam Street at night on February 15. Alan John Hamilton, aged 22. a traffic assistant 'Mr H J. B. Quigley), was convicted and fined SlOO. He pleaded guilty. ißefore Mr P 1.. Molineaux, S.M.I SIX MONTHS GAOL Eric Donald Bruce Kerr, aged 30, a drainlayer, was sentenced to six months prison, and disqualified from driving for a year when he appeared for sentence on a charge of unlawfully converting a truck, and a charge of driving while disqualified. Kerr, who had taken his employer’s truck on April 11, pleaded guilty to both charges. The defendant told the Court the offences were probably caused by drink. He said he realised his actions were stupid and rash. His employer wanted him to stay on in his job. FALSE ACCOUNTING A former bank clerk was fined S2uo and released on probation for a year when he was sentenced on a charge of false accounting. Dennis Gordon Clegg, aged 19, a spray painter (Mr R. F. B. Perry i, had earlier pleaded guilty. Clegg had opened a false account at the Commercial Bank of Australia, under a fictitious name. Mr Perry said the defendant did not take any money for himself until the account was closed, when S7OO was put into his own account. It was still there when the offence was discovered. He made immediate restitution to the bank. EXTENDED SENTENCE A Borstal term being served by Barry John Jackson, aged 2U 'Mr C. A. McVeigh), was extended by two months when he was sentenced on charges of assaulting a warder at Paparua

3 Prison on March 16 and March o 18. Jackson had previously pleaded 1 guilty and been convicted on a both charges. 1 THREE OFFENCES A youth was fined $lOO, put on ’’probation for 12 months, and dis- ‘ qualified from driving for six ’’ i months, when lie appeared for s , sentence on charges of unlaw- ( fully taking and unlawfully get- ’' ting into a car, and receiving a '■ I stolen radio. He is Brian Robert Cormack, aged 17. a metal worker (Mr B. D. Kinley), who had previously I pleaded guilty to the charges. REMAN’D ON BAIL A man who appeared for sen- •, tence on a charge of possessing I a hypodermic syringe for using pethidine was remanded on bail Ito May 6 with a view to his being sentenced to periodic detenI tion. I He is Paul Stephen Ludlow, ..aged 20. unemployed (Mr G. R. J Lascelles). - i Before Mr E. S. J Crutchley, r’ S.M.I 0 ASSAULT AND RESISTING j Vivian Stephen White, aged 19, 1 a driver’s assistant, was convicted and remanded on bail to May 6 for probation report and ’ sentence when he pleaded not ' guilty to two charges of assault ■ and one of resisting arrest. I White was also convicted on j a charge of escaping from law- ] ful custody, to which he pleaded 3 guilty. He was represented by Mr M. J. Glue. Evidence was given that White I was aggressive and un-co-opera- , five when seen at his home on , September 9 by two detectives , about separate matters. He was arrested, but ran away, and, i when eventually caught, was violent and abusive. ■j Detective Constable G. F. Stebbings said in evidence that the e defendant erupted into fits of { uncontrollable rage, and several s efforts had to be made to subdue him. t After finally being put into the . patrol car. the defendant had escaped, and a police dog had ij to be used to reapprehend him. : , Constable D. Direen and e woman Constable K. A. Rae said 0 that they had answered a complaint on a separate occasion, (and had gone to an Armagh (Street pronerty. When they '1 questioned the defendant, he bell came violent, and hit Constable :■ Direen. He had run away, and e ] when caught, had again strugf gled violently, kicking Constable a I Rae in the head.