MAGISTRATE'S COURT Thefts from those who tried to help

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33612, 14 August 1974, Page 17

MAGISTRATE'S COURT Thefts from those who tried to help

Paul Lanning Gemmell, aged [ 22, unemployed (Mr M. J. j Glue), pleaded guilty in the Magistrate's Court yesterday to charges of burglary, forgery, unlawfully taking a a bicycle (two charges), and theft (two charges). He was convicted and remanded on bail to August 20 for sentence by Mr W. F. Brown, S.M. Sergeant C. Walsh said a con-' slderable amount of the propertv stolen by Gemmell was taken! from persons who attempted to help him. Sergeant Walsh told the Court' that the offences were committed i In Christchurch and Wellington! between June 6 and August 2. ; He said that Gemmell took a ! radio and other articles worth! ¥ll4 when he broke into a house in Arlington Street, and stole articles worth $96.65 from a house in which he was living after simulating a burglary. Gemmell forged a Post Office bonus bond for $5. He unlaw-! fully took cycles worth $5O andj $46 and stole articles worth $7.64; from Woolworths. Ltd Gemmell told the police he needed money because he could not keep a job for more than a day or two. PROBATION AND FINE Paul Steven Ramage, aged 18. a labourer (Mr M. J. Glue), was placed on probation for one vear. fined $75, and ordered to pav compensation of $BO when he was» sentenced on a cnarge of assault ing Colin Francis Hill on June 24 He had previously pleaded gulltv Mr Glue said the offence was not a bad case of assault and there was an element of provocation. The complainant made an offensive gesture and called out an offensive remark. Ramage lost his temper and struck the complainant once.

STREAKING On a cnarge of behaving in! ! an offensive manner in the: Royal George Tavern on Augusi 12, Gary Eric Loomes. aged 20. a window cleaner, was convvicted and fined $4O. He pleaded guilty. Sergeant Walsh said Loomes ran naked through the lounge j bar of the tavern. I ILLEGAL LOTTERY A man who sold raffle tickets i In a hotel without having a police permit was fined $4O. Richard i Keith Young, aged 31. a truck--1 driver, pleaded guilty to the i charge of running an illegal 10l Itery. | Sergeant Walsh said defendant i sold $1 raffle tickets in the Club : Hotel, Sydenham. The prize was a half-gallon bottle of brandy He left the hotel without making a draw, and when interviewed bv the police said that he had sold only three tickets. He said he intended to go back to the ; hotel and return the money. STOLE $2O i Kenneth John Reddy, aged 2a. a warehouseman (Mr M. J. Gluei. was fined $2O when he pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing $2O from Radiation (New’ Zealand), Ltd. Sergeant Walsh said that the defendant had taken the monev from a cash tin while employed by the firm. THEFT OF FOOD Charles Lincoln Taylor, ageu 38, a kitchen hand, pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing food worth $3O from his employer, the Avon Motor Lodge, on August 10. He was convicted and fined $2O. , (Before Mr H. J. Evans, S.M.) RESERVED DECISION The Magistrate reserved his decision to August 20 on a charge against Laird David Crichton of careless driving causing the

.death of James William Toohey. aged 33. and Richard Leslie Bar! ton, aged 16. Crichton, aged 18. a draughtsman iMr J. F. Burn,, pleaded not guilty. lan George James Rutledge said that about 12.55 am. on March 30 he heard a four-stroke motor-cycle accelerate past iiis house towards Opawa Road, where there is a stop sign on Ensors Road. There was a crash and then the sound of a highrevving two-stroke motor. Witness went to the intersection where he saw two motorcycles and three persons lying injured on the ground. Malcolm McLeod, a vehicle inspector. said the two-stroke machine ridden by Mr Toohey had its front forks torn off. and was badly damaged on its right side. Tlte four-stroke motor-cycle was damaged on both sides Constable D. B Stapley said that two hours after the accident he interviewed the defendant in hospital. The defendant had said that he recalled crossing a bridge from St Martins travelling along Ensors Road and stopping at the stop sign. That was the last thing he remembered until the hospital Mrs Patricia Mary Crichton said she was with kelson when he was interviewed. She had not heard her son say anything about the accident or route of travel. He was just conscious, she said, and could barely talk because of a broken jaw. What witness had heard was the constable asking for the name of the defendant’s pillion passenger Mr Barton. In evidence, the defendant said he could not remember the interview with the constable. All he could remember about the accident was that before it. he had left a house in Koromiko

Street to take Mr Barton home .<> Heathcote Street. The defendant said that he ; bought he was the driver, but j could not even be sure of that. He also said that bis motorcycle did have a "sticky accelerator” in the days before the accident. In the accident the defendant suffered a broken jaw, two cracked ribs, broken bones in the foot, a sprained finger and concussion. In order to find the defendant guilty three assumptions would have to be made, said Mr Burn. The first was that Crichton was the rider, the second that he actually travelled along Ensors Road and the third, that the: collision occurred because of negligence on his part. The police had offered no sufficient evidence for any of the three, said Mr Burn. (Before Mr E S J. Crutchlev, I S.M.) BEETLES IN BREAD C E. Boon. Ltd. was fined $l5 for selling a loaf of bread containing Tasmanian beetles, which are grass-grub beetles. The company pleaded guilty to the charge brought by the Department of Health (Mr G. K. Panckhurst). Mr Panckhurst said the beetles were found by a housewife in a loaf of sliced, wrapped bread on February 8. The Magistrate said the offence ! was not serious because the ; beetles had not been baked in: the bread, although the company had some responsibility.