MAGISTRATE'S COURT Man pleads guilty to 30 burglary charges

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33778, 26 February 1975, Page 13

MAGISTRATE'S COU RT Man pleads guilty to 30 burglary charges

Dennis John Dent, aged 18. eaded guilty in the Magisate’s Court yesterday to 30 larges of burglary', seven of ceiving. and one of entering building with intent to comjt a crime. The offences in>|ved goods worth $22,826. Mr F. G. Paterson, S.M., itnanded Dent, unemployed dr P. H. B. Hall), in custody I March 4 for sentence. Sergeant D. B. Kerr said iat Dent committed the .30i urglanes between October, |73. and January', 1975. After a search of the detndants former home a trge amount of property tas recovered. The defendpt later gave himself up and dmitted the offences. Property recovered was slued at $12,602. Goods from six receiving barges have not been recovred. Compensation of 110.224.16 is sought. Houses were burgled in jpencer Street, Mathers load. Stanbury Avenue. Jarraclough Street, Rose ftreet, Maryhill Avenue, jparks Road, Conway Street, fosewarne Street, Bristol Street. Holly Road. Evesham Crescent, Hammond Place, (oberta Drive, Edinburgh Street, Fairfield Avenue, Marley View Street. Frankfeigh Street, Jerrold . Street, Studholme Street, Barrington Street. Strickland Street, lloon Hay Road, Memorial Avenue, Fendalton Road, and Fitzgerald Avenue. PERIODIC DETENTION A youth who tried to obtain money from a bank for a friend •wanted by the police was sentenced to three months periodic detention and put on probation for 15 months when he appeared for sentence. Peter Ronald Darreil had previously been convicted on his plea of guilty to charges of forging a Bank of New Zealand debit receipt for 1120.87 and falsely presenting a cheque for 5120.87 with intent to defraud. BORSTAL TRAINING . Edward Tunui, aged 17. was sentenced to Borstal training on eight charges of theft, one of burglary, one of robbery, and one of unlawfully getting into a car. He had previously pleaded guilty. The robbery occurred in the men’s lavatory in Cathedral Square on February 14. Sergeant R H. Prouting had earlier told

the Court. Tunui asked a boy for money, but as he had none, took ; the boy’s watch instead. i Mrs D. J. Rotherham, for: Tunui, said that he was desperate for money when he robbed , the boy. The defendant had no • employment, or permanent ac- . commodation. STOLE RECORDS A man who stole records and cassette tapes valued at more: • than SlOOO was put on probation | for 18 months and ordered to do 200 hours of community work when he appeared for sentence on two charges of theft. He is Graham Clive Robertson. I aged 21. a storeman (Mr S. GJ , Erber >. who had previously been convicted on his plea of guilty. . The Court had earlier been told that Robertson took 52 cassette tapes and 233 records . while working as a storeman. They were taken from the • N.A.C. freight depot when he • called there daily to check goods. Mr Erber submitted that Robi ertson found that taking the first; parcel was easy, and thereafter found it “irresistible.” The defendant had been sus>’pended since the discovery of i the offence, but depending on how he was sentenced the firm U might re-employ him. said Mr Erber. f : CANNABIS CHARGE Lynne Catherine Rose, aged 20,; •a waitress (Mr A. C. Hughes-: 1 Johnson), was convicted and fined 5 1 $5O on a charge of possessing ; cannabis. She pleaded guilty. • i Detective Sergeant N. W. Mil-; • sum said that the defendant had been found in possession of 0.31 , gm of cannabis at a camping ground where she was staying. ] COMMUNITY WORK . David George Keenan, aged 38 ’ (Mr K. N. Hampton), was put on , probation for 12 months, ordered to do 100 hours of community work. and had his driver’s , licence cancelled for two years, when he appeared for sentence ■ on three charges. Keenan had previously been ’ convicted on his plea of guilty 1 on charges of driving with an excessive blood-alcohol level ’ (193 mg driving while disquali- ] fied, and supplying a false name . and address, all on December 2. 3 Mr Hampton said that Keenan had an alcohol problem and was J receiving treatment for it. ASSAULT i 1 Frank Ah Kuoi, aged 28. a 1 freezing worker (Mr M. J. Glue), - who pleaded guilty to a charge, c of assaulting Avea Vagana on! i, Christmas Eve, was put on pro:l bation for 12 months and or-i dered to do 100 hours of com- ! - munity work. s 1 Sergeant Kerr said that the def fendant and complainant had I been at a party in Addington. II The defendant had leant back j r and brushed the complainant’s: I cigarette. He apologised, but later asked the complainant to step outside. The defendant punched him. s! knocked him to the ground, and t then struck him again. The comf plainant suffered a fractured 1 jaw, bruising, and a bleeding i■ nose. I The defendant said that he had become fed up with the come plainant. who had made contin--1 ued reference to the earlier t incident. 1 Mr Glue said the complainant’

had treated the matter of the cigarette as a joke, and had mocked the defendant. « STOLE FROM EMPLOYER J A woman who pleaded guilty « to a charge of stealing about I 8650 from her employer. Clarkson’s Supermarket, Ltd, Linwood j Avenue, over four months, was t convicted and put on probation i for 12 months and fined $l5O. She is Beverley Nonna Webb. ' aged 18 (Mr J. A. Callaghan). < Sergeant Kerr said that the J defendant had been employed as ‘ a check-out operator at the 5 Supermarket. Between October 1 and January 31 she had taken ; money by not recording sales on , the cash register. She recorded - the sales only on the customer s . receipt. « ( The defendant said that she N had taken only small amounts of < money at first, but the amounts got larger. The money had been i refunded, Sergeant Kerr said. The Magistrate said the defen- z dant was unlikely to reoffend. ] BURGLARY' CHARGE j Timothy Samuel Burrows, aged 17, an unemployed farmhand. ’ was remanded on bail to March < !4 for sentence when he pleaded j guiltv to a charge of burglary. ( Detective Sergeant Milsum, ( said that on February 5 Burrows; and an associate burgled a house ; in Brittan Street and took a . 1 radio cassette, a pair of shoes,l • and $5O cash. < The radio was sold to a dealer I for $5O. and the defendant had - said that he received $l5 from ■ the sale. He also kept the shoes, but later destroyed them. The police are seeking ssBi compensation. CO-OFFENDERS Two girls who said they took i I goods from shops because they; 1 were bored were put on probation for 12 months with the conditions that they do 48 hours of community work, live and work where directed, and place their finances under the control of the probation officer. They are Kay Wilspn, aged 18. ; and Angela King, aged 17, both; i unemployed. King was convicted on her plea of guilty to charges of| stealing clothes worth $3.08 from Beath and Company, Ltd, and stealing ornaments worth $3.90 from Lange's Souvenirs. Colombo Street. Wilson was convicted on her plea of guilty to a charge of stealing clothing worth $2.291 from Beath and Company. Sergeant Kerr said that the { defendants had the property on them when they were questioned I by the police in Cathedral: i Square. They said they had: taken the goods on February 24 because they were bored. EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL Gordon Wilson was fined $125: and disqualified from driving fori six months when he was con-'

victed on his plea of guilty to a charge of driving with an excessive blood-alcohol level (151 mg on December 8. MOTOR-CYCLIST INJURED The defendant would rather have suffered the injuries himself than have caused them to the motor-cyclist, said counsel (Mr K. H. Thwaites) for John Stanley Mcllwrick, aged 75, who pleaded guilty to a charge of injuring Bary John Tie by carelessly using a car. The Magistrate fined Mcllwrick $5O. No order was made ! concerning his driver’s licence. Sergeant Kerr said that on December 16 the defendant signalled to turn into his gateway on Island Road. Kaiapoi. When he turned, a motor-cyclist and the front right of the car collided. The motor-cyclist was injured, and later one of his legs was amputated above the knee.

The defendant told the police that he had not seen the motorcycle. Mr Thwaites said that Mcllwrick had suffered a great deal of mental anguish because of the accident. He had been driving since 1917 and had an unblemished driving record. The Magistrate said that it was probably a case of a moment of carelessness when the defendant was trying to be careful.

POSSESSED CANNABIS Wendy Janne Hayes, aged 20, a machinist (Mr I. C. J. Polson), was fined $5O on a charge of possessing cannabis on February 18. She was convicted on her plea of guilty. Sergeant Kerr said that the police found o.sgm of cannabis in the defendant s bedroom in a Hat in Rugby Street Mr Poison said that it was a very small amount of the nar-■ cotic. and that the defendant * was not a regular user. She had tried it on isolated occasions. he said. “ERRATIC DRIVING” A man who drove a fork-lift vehicle in an erratic manner on Marriotts Road, was fined $l5O and had his driver’s licence can- i celled for nine months when he! was convicted on his plea of I : guilty to a charge of driving ‘ with an excessive blood-alcohol level (174 mg The man. Brian George Me-; Allister. aged 21. a labourer (Mr P. J Egden) was also fined S 5 on a charge of having no’ licence to drive a fork-lift. He pleaded guilty. Sergeant Kerr said that about 9 p.m. on December 19, cars had to take evasive action because of the erratic path of the fork-lift on Marriotts Road. McAllister told the police that he had been to a Christmas' party and as it was late decided to take the fork-lift home. He| ■ said that it was hard to drive {because it steered by the rear I wheels. STOLE DRESS Sandra Marilyn Clarkson, aged 19. a factory worker, who i pleaded guilty to a charge of {stealing a dress valued at $25. was convicted and remanded on 1 bail to March 4. Sergeant Kerr said that on iJanuary 27 the defendant took a parcel containing the dress from the letter-box of an adjacent flat. The dress was later Isold to a friend for $5. EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL On charges of driving with an excessive blood-alcohol level I (257 mg and failing to yield right :of way James Joseph Ponsonby, aged 58. a building supervisor /Mr L. M. O'Reilly), was fined I $250 and disqualified from driving for 18 months. He pleaded guilty. Sergeant Kerr said that on December 6 Ponsonby failed to give way when turning at the intersection of North Avon Road and Hills Road. The defend- • ant’s car struck another car ■ travelling on Hills Road. ! DROVE UNDER INFLUENCE I John Michael Condon, aged 48, a driver, who pleaded guilty to i charges of driving under the influence of drink and refusing ; to give a blood sample on Janui ary 4. was put on probation for 12 months, ordered to do 64 hours of community work, and disqualified from driving for 18 months.

I Sergeant Ken* said the defend- ; ant had driven his car into a gutter near Ferry Road and Nursery Road. He was unsteady on his feet, and later refused to give a blood sample (Before Mr H. J. Evans, S.M. DECISION DEFERRED A decision on whether a prima-facie case had been established against seven young persons charged with unlawful assembly, which was to have been given yesterday, was deferred until next Tuesday. The decision. to be given by Mr H. J. Evans. S.M., relates to an incident on November 3 last year. EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL Derek Milligan, aged 23, was convicted on a charge of driving with an excess blood-alcohol level (225 mg He was disqualified from driving for 18 months, and remanded to March 5 on bail for further . sentence. He pleaded guilty’.

FINE AND PROBATION A youth who, the Court was told, kicked a person in the face and broke his nose while he lay on the ground, was fined SlOO and put on probation for 12 months when he appeared for sentence. Ronald James Cottle, aged 20, a welder, had previously pleaded not guilty to a charge of assaulting Llewellyn Clarence Saywell on November 23.