Woman assaulted after leaving party

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33803, 27 March 1975, Page 16

Woman assaulted after leaving party

A woman who was hit over the head with a bottle and struck in the face, escaped from her attacker by slipping out of her skivvy, the Magistrate’s Court was told yesterday.

Before Mr P. L. Molineaux, S.M., was Enele Poe, aged 26, a carpenter, who pleaded guilty to a charge of assault with intent to injure. Poe was convicted and remanded in custody to April 3 for sentence. On March 13 the complainant went to a party in Huxley Street, said Sergeant N. W. Mcßae. At 3.15 p.m. there was an argument among some men as to who would take her home and she left the house to go to a telephone box to call a taxi.

The defendant followed her and gave her a 2c coin when she asked for one to make the call. He had then broken a beer bottle over her head and struck her. Poe dragged her into King Street and behind the Sandridge Hotel where she managed to escape by slipping out of her skivvy. She ran to Colombo Street and called the police. The woman required two stitches to the lip and was bruised about the shoulders and the neck, said Sergeant Mcßae. When interviewed the defendant admitted assaulting the complainant. He had propositioned her at the party and she had agreed to make love, he said. He was mad at her for first agreeing to make love and then refusing. He was also angry with himself and had “just let his heart hit out and felt sorry for what- he had done.” DETENTION CENTRE Russell James Pirie, aged 19, unemployed (Mr M. J. Glue), was sentenced to detention centre training on a charge of stealing a headset from a car at Sumner on March 18. He had previously pleaded guilty. Mr Glue submitted that Pirie had a drug problem and the offence was related to it. The Magistrate said that if he left Pirie in the community it was likely he would “just commit more offences to get money! for more drugs.” At the detention centre the defendant would be away from the “local scene,” and would have regular hours and regular meals, he said. This type of regimentation had been successfully tried in the North Island on persons with a drug problem. PERIODIC DETENTION Manuariki Kouha. aged 18, unemployed, was sentenced to four months periodic detention, when he appeared on four charges of theft involving goods worth $626. He had pleaded guilty. Sergeant T. Moore said earlier that on December 26 the defendant had taken property from three ears in Alexandra. The goods had included three rifles, a tape recorder and a torch. On January 18, he had also taken a rug and torch from a car in New Brighton. The defendant had admitted the offences.

Mr S. A. Menzies, for the defendant, said that he was not someone with criminal and delinquent tendencies. A major contributing factor of the offence had been his association with a co-offender. The co-offender had been responsible for the disposal of the items taken. The defendant had been used, and got nothing whatever for his endeavours. Mr Menzies said. ASSAULT A man who pleaded guilty to a charge of assaulting a woman on March 18. was convicted and remanded on bail to April 3. He is Leonard George Humm, aged 26, a self-employed concrete worker. Sergeant Mcßae said that about 10.30 p.m., the complainant returned to her home in Halswell Road. The defendant was in a car outside. The complainant asked the defendant to leave. He had then hit her with a closed fist, grabbed her by the hair and hit her again. The police were called, and the defendant was arrested. He could offer no explanation for his actions. The complainant suffered a cut and swollen lip and bruising. The defendant told the Court he had had too much to drink at the time of the offence. “This is your second conviction for assault,” the Magistrate said. There was no justification for it.

PROBATION Pauline June Tenamu, aged 24, unemployed (Mr M. J. Glue), was put on probation for 18 months on a charge of stealing a cheque valued at $47 from a mall box on March 11. She had previously pleaded guilty. She was also ordered to live and work where directed and not to associate with persons not approved of. Mr Glue submitted that Tenamu gave the cheque to another person and stood to gain nothing from the offence. She found the cheque in a letter in a mail box that served a number of flats. BURGLARY CHARGE A heater stolen during a burglary of R. and E. Tingey and Company, Ltd. had been dropped on the ground so many times that it was beyond repair when the police found the defendant with it on Oxford Terrace, said Sergeant Mcßae. William Thomas Robertson, aged 22, who pleaded guilty to a charge of burglary was remanded on bail to April 3 for sentence. Sergeant Mcßae said that the police found the defendant intoxicated about 11 p.m. Robertson said that he broke into the firm’s premises in Tuam Street by climbing over a high fence and breaking a window. Compensation of $45 for the heater and $lO for the window is sought. BURGLED CLUB Frank Broadbent Simpson, aged 20, a die setter (Mr P. G. Benseman), was further remanded to April 3 when he pleaded guilty to a charge of burgling the Fendalton Bowling Club on January 8. Simpson had also previously been convicted on his plea of guilty on changes of unlawfully taking a car on March 3 and being in possession of instruments of burglary (a pair of Sergeant A. R. Bleakley said that the defendant removed some louvre windows at the bowling club and took liquor and cigarettes worth $39. Damage worth $2OO was also done to doors inside. RECEIVED WHEELS Russel James Brown, aged 23. unemployed, was convicted and fined $l5O when he pleaded guilty to a charge of receiving two car-wheel assemblies complete with tyres and tubes, valued at $56, on February 24. * Sergeant Mcßae said the defendant had been given the wheels by two friends, who had earlier stolen them from a car. When interviewed on March 18. the defendant had said he knew the wheels had been stolen. An order was made for the return of the property. STOLE VASE Kylie Solitiere Manzenare, aged ■l7, unemployed, was ordered to come up for sentence within six months if called upon, when she - pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing a pottery vase valued at i $3 on or about December 23. Sergeant Mcßae said that a gift-wrapped parcel had been taken from the letter-box of a property in Knowles Street. Tlie defendant had taken the parcel to her flat. She later gave the contents, a pottery vase, to a friend as a Christmas present. The defendant had admitted the offence. An order was made for the return of the property. TRIED CAR DOORS A man who was seen to try the door handles of two cars in Poynder Avenue about 7 p.m. on March 13 was convicted on two charges of unlawfully interfering with a car and remanded on ball to April 3. The man, Christopher Archie Currie, aged 19, unemployed, pleaded guilty. Sergeant Mcßae said that Currie offered no explanation for his actions when the police found him near Poynder Avenue. HAD AMMUNITION Kevin Jaye Becker, aged 22, a weed-sprayer (Mr G. R. Las-

cellesi, was convicted and fined $6O. when lie pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing 99 rounds of 9mm calibre ammunition for an unlawful weapon, on December 17.

Sergeant Mcßae said that the police had searched the defendant’s home after allegations. In a drawer, a box containing the ammunition was found. The defendant had failed to reveal the purpose of having the ammunition, said Sergeant McRae. Mr Lascelles said the ammunition had been on the defendant’s property for a long time, and had just never been used. Deer-shooting was one of the defendant’s main sources of income. He had licences for all other weapons he had owned. STOLE CHEQUE On charges of stealing a cheque for $154 and obtaining credit by a false pretence, David Eder, aged 29, a storeman, was convicted and remanded on bail to April 3 for sentence. He pleaded guilty. I The cheque, from tlie Accident i Compensation Commission, disap- ; peared on January 29. said Ser I geant Mcßae. On February 22 i tlie defendant cashed it at tlie Caledonian Hotel, Christchurch. CASHED CHEQUES Brent Young,' aged 18, a cleaner, was ordered to pay $lO compensation and put on probation for 12 months on three charges of false pretence to which he pleaded guilty. Sergeant Mcßae said that the defendant’s associate made out three cheques for $5 and $lO and the defendant cashed them. The cheques had been stolen. EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL Bernard Peter Collins, aged 34. a plasterer, was fined $2OO and disqualified from driving for 18 months on a charge of driving with an excessive blood-alcohol level (209 mg on April 1. He pleaded guilty. (Before Mr W. F. Brown, S.M.) THEFT OF WATCH Ward Alexander Milton Ashton, aged 26, a male nurse, was fined $lOO and was ordered to pay compensation of $16.95 on a charge of theft of a watch. He pleaded guilty. Sergeant T. Moore said that Ashton was drinking with a man in the Embassy Hotel, The man asked Ashton to go to Tattersails Hotel and uplift his luggage which lie did. When the | man travelled to his home out of Christchurch and opened his case he found that his niece’s watch was missing. When seen by the police Ashton said that he had taken the watch because he was short of money and had sold it to an unknown person in the Embassy Hotel for $5. The watch had not been recovered, Sergeant Moore said. EXCESS ALCOHOL Edward Clifford Hanham. aged; 58. a handyman, was fined $3OO and his driver’s licence was cancelled for 18 months on a charge of driving with excess blood-alco-hol level (288 mg on Canon Street on October 23, 1974. (Before Mr E. S. J. Crutchley, S.M.) TWO CHARGES Willie Campbell, aged 53 (Mr E. T. Higgins), was sentenced to periodic detention for three months, disqualified from driving for three years, and put on probation for 16 months, when he appeared for sentence on charges of driving with an excessive blood-alcohol level (192 mg and driving outside the terms of a limited licence. As special conditions of probation the defendant was ordered to take out and keep in force a prohibition order, and attend the National Society on Alcoholism or a similar body as directed by the probation officer. Mr Higgins submitted that the defendant had made a real effort to keep out of trouble. He had only recently gone back to drinking.