MAGISTRATE’S COURT Two years gaol for ”serious” burglaries

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33626, 30 August 1974, Page 13

MAGISTRATE’S COURT Two years gaol for ”serious” burglaries

“It is hard to imagine more serious burglaries of their kind.” Mr W. F. Brown, S.M., said m the Magistrates Court yesterday when sentencing Isaac Grace to imprisonment tor two years.

Grace, aged 33, unemployed :(Mr P. J. Rutledge), had earlier pleaded guilty and been convicted on three charges of burglary involving goods worth 57525. He was charged with burgling ia bouse on the Main South (Road on July 27 from which a I record player, watch, shotgun, I jewellery and other articles (worth $1596 were stolen. ! The premises of Mataura Electrical and Television, Ltd, were burgled on August 1 and goods worth $3290 stolen. Television sets, record plavers and radios worth $2639 were stolen when Grace burgled the premises of the Balclutha Electric Power Board on August 6. Detective Sergeant T. J. Gorman previously told the Court that Grace said three other persons had been involved in the offences. Grace refused to name them and they had not been traced by the police. Mr Rutledge said Grace had an appalling list of convictions for a person of his age. The latest offences were committed during a short period and associates were involved in each case.

“His basic instability in life has resulted in these offences,” Mr Rutledge said. ATTEMPTED ROBBERY

Douglas James Archer, aged 20, an unemployed cook (Mr C. A. McVeigh), was sent to the Waikeria Detention Centre on a charge of attempting to rob Betty Cocks of a quantity of drugs on June 7. “Tins must be the most inept attempt at robbery ever perpetrated in Christchurch,” Mr McVeigh said. The attempt to rob the pharimacy was marked by a ."bumbling ineptness,” he said, i “He is a weak, easily dominated person who is ravaged bydrugs. He has been involved with drugs since he was 15,” Mr McVeigh said. FOUR CHARGES Api Joseph Raroa, aged 22. a railworker (Mr D. J. R. Holder- i ness), was remanded on bail to September 5. for sentence on two charges of assault, a charge of escaping from custody and using obscene language on July 27 at Cheviot.

He pleaded guilty to all charges. Detective Sergeant Gorman said that at 8.15 p.m. the defendant was in the public bar of the Cheviot Trust Hotel when he used obscene language. A barman, Mr Michael Keith Cook, asked him to stop it and was pulled across the bar bv his tie.

■ Later when the manager, Mr Eric Hill, was speaking to Raroa, (the defendant hit him in the mouth, cutting his lip. When lie was in the custody of the Cheviot police, a friend of Raroa released him from the police cells and the defendant was free for an hour. RESISTED CONSTABLE David Owen Williams, aged 17, unemployed (Mr M. P. Boyce), (pleaded guilty to charges of (resisting a constable, wilfully (damaging a police car aerial and (being found in a hotel bar while! (under age. I He was convicted and re-1 .'manded on bail to September 51 for sentence.

Detective Sergeant Gorman said two constables entered the Bush Inn Courts at 10.15 p.m. and escorted Williams from the lounge bar. He was seen outside a few minutes later holding an : aerial which had been torn from . a police car. When apprehended iu WaiI mairi Road lie became violent ' and had to be handcuffed. ! FINE FOR ASSAULT I Jeanie Slater Smith, aged 41, a crane driver (Mr A. C. HughesJohnson), was convicted and fined $4O when he pleaded guilty to a charge of assaulting his aunt, Colleen Mitchell, at Lyttelton on August 21. Detective Sergeant Gorman said Smith became involved in an argument witli the complainant after a family funeral. He punched her on the jaw and she fell against the wall and on to the floor. The complainant suffered bruising and swelling of the jaw. Mr Hughes-Johnson said the incident had a background of family disharmony. The defendant had been slapped on the face and subjected to severe provocation. ASSAULT Michael Christopher Strahan, aged 19, an apprentice carpenter (Mr D. J. Boyle), pleaded guilty and was convicted and fined $BO on a charge of assaulting Ronald John Williamson on July 20. Detective Sergeant Gorman said Strahan and the complainant were walking down Fitzgerald Avenue at 5.45 p.m. when Strahan grabbed the complainant by the hair and hit him in the face with his fist. Mr Williamson suffered a cut lip. Tile defendant said he did it to “defend his name.” Mr Bovle said there had been a history of ill-feeling between the two persons for three months before the offence. PROBATION AND FINE

Scott Errington Penrose, aged 17, an apprentice joiner (Mr M. P. Boyce), was fined' SlOO and placed on probation for one vear when he was sentenced on a charge of assaulting Martin Henri Hermans on June 26. He had previously pleaded guilty and been convicted.

“If you offend like this again it will mean detention,” the Magistrate said. Senior-Sergeant G. A. Clewer had told the Court that Penrose punched the complainant several times. The complainant suffered a cut lip which needed three stitches. FALSE ALARM

“You are going to find this an expensive escapade,” the Magistrate said when fining Robin Neil Kingsford $75 and ordering him to pay $27.42 compensation on a charge of unlawfully interfering with a fire alarm at Christies Night Spot on May 30. Kingsford, aged 20, a welder, pleaded guilty. Detective Sergeant Gorman said that at 11.30 p.m. the defendant interfered with a fire alarm in the men’s toilet. PERIODIC DETENTION

Gavin John Tuira, aged 21, a forklift driver (Mr G. M. Brodie), was sentenced to periodic detention for three months when he appeared on a charge of burgling the warehouse of Tee Vee Radio, Ltd. on August 15. Tuira had previously pleaded

guilty to the charge. Nothing was stolen from the premises. ASSEMBLY CHARGE

Warren Dennis Cain, aged IS. a technician (Mr N. K. W. Davidson), was remanded on bail to September 5 when he appeared

on a charge of being a member of an uulawiul assembly (in Eversleigh Street on August 25 No plea was entered EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL

On a charge of driving with an excessive blood-aicohol concentration (204 mg on June 22, Kenneth Joint Little, aged 25, an engineer (Mr M. J. Glue), was convicted and remanded on bail to September 5 for sentence. He pleaded guilty. (Before Mr F. G. Paterson, S.M.) THREAT TO KILL

Tiie armed offenders squad surrounded a Colombo Street; flat after a girl complained that; (lie father of her baby had threatened to shoot his way into (her flat, the Court was told. < Wayne John Alfred Milne, aged j 26. unemployed (Mr E. T. Hig-I gins), was convicted and re-1 manded on bail to September 9 for sentence when he pleaded not guilty to charges of threat-; ening to kill a woman and being: in unlawful possession of a .303 rifle on July 28. Medical examination for periodic detention was ordered. Sheridan Linda Rose said that the defendant had telephoned her at 3 a.m. and said he was coming to take her baby daughter away from her. At 4.45 a.m. he had thumped on her door, demanded to be let in, and said, “If you don’t I’ll get my gun and shoot my way in.” Lyndon Ruth Rose said that Milne had telephoned her in the early hours of July 28 and said. “My gun is in the back of the : Holden and I'll get her (Sheridan ' Rose) tonight.” ('

Sergeant Kevin Thomas Boyle said that lie had gone to the defendant's- flat and seen what appeared to be a rifle hanging on the wall in a lighted room. The object disappeared after the light went off and on again, but a rifle was later found underneath Milne’s mattress by a member of the armed offenders squad, which had put a cordon around the flat. Milne said in evidence that he thought he was “having a dream about the Gestapo or something” when woken about 7 a.m. to find two loaded pistols pointed at his head. He denied telling Sheridan Rose that he would shoot Iris way Into her flat. They had had a heated conversation because she would not let him see the baby that Sunday. There was no mention of a gun. The Magistrate said that the defendant’s evidence was “evasive” and he was in no doubt that the threats had been directed at Miss Rose. DEFERRED SENTENCES

Two youths were convicted and ordered to come up for sentence within six months if called upon when they appeared for sentence on charges of theft and false pretence. Paul William Crosson, aged 17 (Mr G. S. Brockett), pleaded guilty to stealing a cheque book on August. 14, and falsely representing on August 20, in Greqmouth, that a cheque for $65 was valid. Ronald Andrew Veitch, aged 19 (Mr P. D. A. Hinchliff), pleaded guilty to stealing a cheque book on August 14 and falsely representing on August 20 in Greymouth that a cheque for $32 was- valid.

The Magistrate said that this “escapade” was a serious offence against the community, but he was impressed by the defendants’ appearance and attitude. He declined to suppress their names but ordered the nature and place of their employment to be suppressed. They were ordered to pay $lOO each towards the cost of prosecution.

(Before Mr H. J. Evans, S.M.) ASSAULT ON CHILD

A married woman whose name was suppressed was placed on probation for two years when she was sentenced on a charge of assaulting her 11-year-old daughter on July 20. She had previously pleaded guilty and had been convicted.

She was represented by Mr R. L. Kerr. As a special condition of probation she was ordered to live and work as directed by the probation officer.

The Court had earlier been told the defendant found that the child had been to a shop without her permission.

She took the child into the bathroom and threw her on the floor, on which the child hit her face. The defendant struck her child about the head with a cleaner container until it broke. The defendant then scratched the child about the face and jumped on her head and back with her bare feet. She held her by the throat and banged her head against a cupboard door.