MAGISTRATE’S COURT Man thought he could fly after taking LSD

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33816, 12 April 1975, Page 13

MAGISTRATE’S COURT Man thought he could fly after taking LSD

After taking lysergide, a; man jumped from a balcony,; thinking he could fly, and suffered severe head injuries, I the Magistrate’s Court was told yesterday. Before Mr E. S. J. Crutchley, S.M., was another man, aged 23, who pleaded guilty to a charge of giving the narcotic, lysergide, to the man injured, when he was not licensed to do so. The defendant, whose name was suppressed, was convicted and remanded to April 18 for sentence.

Sergeant N. W. Mcßae said that during the week-end of February 27 to March 2, the defendant was in Invercargill. Earlier he had bought a lysergide tablet in a Christchurch hotel. On his arrival in Invercargill he had shown the tablet to some friends. One friend had said he would like to try the lysergide. On February 28 the defendant and friend had half a tablet each. The defendant had watched the other person, as he was worried about him, said Sergeant Mcßae. The defendant saw that the tablet had taken effect, but thought the man would come to no harm. The defendant left, planning to return later.

While he was out, the man climbed on to the balcony of the motel, thinking he could fly, said Sergeant Mcßae.

He fell 10ft or 12ft and landed on his head, causing severe head injuries, and was still in hospital six weeks later, although he was due to be discharged soon. The defendant regretted his actions, and said he

would not have given part of the tablet to the man if he had not said he wanted to try it RECEIVING On a charge of receiving clothing valued at $6424 on or about March 7, Henry Charles Gardner, aged 35, an unemployed shoe-maker, was remanded in custody to April 18 for sentence. He pleaded guilty. He was remanded to the same date when he pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to notify the probation officer of his change of address, on December 12. Sergeant Mcßae said that on March 7 a clothing shop in Seaview Road, New Brighton, had been burgled. Clothing valued at $6424 was stolen.

A property was visited by police in Eureka Street, where the defendant boarded. Nearly all the stolen property was recovered. i The defendant had left Christchurch soon after the burglary, said Sergeant Mcßae. On March 11 When interviewed in Wellington, he said he had been drinking in a Christchurch hotel when he had been asked by two friends to store some property for them. He agreed to do this, and the friends brought the property round later that night. He had given them keys to a shed to store the property. The defendant admitted knowing the property was stolen, but did not know what it was, said Sergeant Mcßae.

The next day the defendant found trousers and shirts had been left for him, and realised then that the

property had been clothing. He was emphatic that he did not commit the burglary, said Sergeant Mcßae.

ASSAULT WITH CHAIN Brent James McAllister, aged 18, a factory hand (Mr R. B. Leete), was fined $l5O on a charge of assaulting Ronald Lindsay Barrow outside the Mount Pleasant Community Centre on December 14. He had previously pleaded guilty. The Magistrate said that Mr Barrow, an organiser of a dance at the centre, was struck around the body by a bicycle chain when he tried to get a group outside to disperse. The defendant appeared to have been affected by alcohol and had found the chain on the ground. Mr Leete said that the offence was hard to understand, as the defendant had never offended before and was thought highly of by all who knew him. CANNABIS On a charge of possessing 25.5 gm of cannabis on April 4, Colleen Lilian McAlister, aged 34, unemployed (Mr G. R. Lascelles) was convicted and remanded on bail to April 18 for sentence. She pleaded guilty. Sergeant Mcßae said when the police executed a search warrant on a house the defendant was visiting, they found o.6gm of cannabis in a matchbox belonging to her. In her car, parked outside, there was a further 24.9 gm of cannabis in a plastic bag. She told the police the cannabis was for her own use, and she had been smoking it about one year. DAMAGED TURF Mark Harold Richardson, aged 22, an engineer (Mr D. H. P. Dawson) was fined $5O and ordered to pay $12.50 compensation on a charge of wilfully damaging the turf in Latimer Square on March 28 He was also fined $2O on a charge of obstructing a constable on the same date. He pleaded guilty to both charges. Sergeant Mcßae said that Richardson broadsided his car on the park at 2 a.m. A police constable noticed that he was affected by liquor, and asked for his car keys. The defendant handed them over, but later demanded them back and was arrested when he would not stop bothering the police for them. Mr Daw'son said that the defendant drove at low speed on the turf, as borne out by the small cost of repair — $12.50. The obstruction charge arose when the defendant asked for the policeman’s number. He did this because a friend who had been in a : similar situation had had trouble regaining his keys from the police station. FINED $5O Laurie Bruce Collins, aged 22, a driver (Mr P. H. B. Hall), was convicted and fined $5O, after he pleaded not guilty to a charge of behaving in a disorderly manner in Marine Parade, on November 5. Constable P. L. Deazley said that he had been on duty in the car-park area on the’New Brighton foreshore, on Guy Fawkes Day, with four other policemen. He saw a group of people on the footpath in front of them. As he approached the defendant’s left, a firecracker was thrown into the air and exploded a few inches from his left eye causing minor singeing to his eye and jacket. The defendant had denied seeing the police arrive, said witness.

Collins said he had been with some friends at New Brighton. He had lit a cracker, thrown it into the air and watched it. When it came down the constable had been under it and it had exploded between two of the policemen. Witness said that until the cracker exploded, he was not aware of the presence of the policemen. He had not looked around before throwing it. STOLE $lO Graham John Barr, aged 18, a shop assistant, was remanded to April 18 on bail, when he pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing a $lO note on April 10. Sergeant T. Moore said that the defendant had been working at a foodmarket in Heathcote. The owner, the complainant, had noticed a shortage in the till and decided to record the numbers of some of the notes. He later noticed that a marked note was missing, but he had recorded the number of this.

On April 11 the defendant was spoken to by the police and found to be in possession of the note. He had admitted taking it without authority.

The defendant had said that on April 10 he had changed $2O of his own money for notes of a larger denomination. He had removed the $lO note later. He said he had been in financial difficulties, and added that he would replace the money the next week.

EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL David Edward Herring, aged 18, a painter and decorator (Mr M. J. Glue) was fined $250 and had his licence cancelled for three years on a charge of driving with an excessive bloodalcoho) level (122 mg pn Jerrold Street, Christchurch, on December 26. He pleaded guilty. The Magistrate noted that it was the defendant’s second such offence within a year and that an accident had occurred in which persons in the defendant’s car had been injured. Gabriel Mathieu Olden burger, aged 18, a steel detailer (Mr E. T. Higgins) was fined $l5O and disqualified from driving for nine months on a charge of driving with an excessive blood-alcohol level (176 mg on Colombo Street on February 1. He pleaded guilty. (Before Mr F. G. Paterson, S.M.) ASSAULTED WIFE A man who punched his wife and kicked her in the stomach was convicted and remanded on bail to April 18 for sentence on a charge of assault. The man, Norman Barry Johnstone, aged 29, a council employee, pleaded guilty. Sergeant 1. M. Gardiner said the incident arose from an argument over a baby sitter. COMMUNITY WORK Ronald Keith Davidson, aged 24, a gardener, was put on probation for a year and ordered to do 72 hours community work on a charge of driving with excessive blood-alcohol level (153 mg He was also disqualified from driving for 18 months.

The Court was told a traffic officer had seen Davidson stop his car in Cashel Street. A half-empty beer bottle and a glass were found in the vehicle. EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL

A youth who hit a power pole with his car was fined $2OO and disqualified from driving for 18 months on a charge of driving with an excessive blood-alcohol level (200 mg He pleaded guilty. He is Noel Lloyd Wilson, aged 19, a freezing worker.