MAGISTRATE'S COURT ‘Man will die if he keeps drinking’

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33818, 15 April 1975, Page 14

MAGISTRATE'S COURT ‘Man will die if he keeps drinking’

Medical certificates showed that the defendant would die soon if he did not stop drinking, said Mr E. S. J. (2rutchle\. S.M.. in the Magistrate’s Gourt yesterday w hen James Me.\eill). aged 44. appeared for sentence on two charges of being found drunk in a public place having been com icted seven times in the previous six months.

He was sent to prison foi three months — the maximum penalty. I The Magistrate said thal the defendant was apparentily not prepared to do anyj thing about his problem. The I Court had done what it i could with the help of the Salvation Army, and other institutions were either not able or not prepared to take him. Medical reports showed that because of an affected liver McNeilly should probably never drink again and | he therefore imprisoned him Ito give him a chance to "dry out,” the Magistrate I said. STOLE TOOLS j Trevor Wayne Sykes, aged j 22, an apprentice mechanic (Mr K. N. Hampton), was remanded to April 21 for sentence when he pleaded guilty to two charges of burglary, on April 3. He was ordered to be medically examined for periodic detention. Sergeant Mcßae said that on April 3 the premises of the New Zealand Farmers Motors, Canterbury, Ltd, Cashel Street, were broken and entered. Entry was gained through a skylight. Three boxes of mechanics’’ tools, valued at .$BOO, were! taken. On the same night the' premises of Blackwell! Motors, Ltd, Blenheim Road.' were also broken and entered. Entry was gained! through louvre windows. Five tyres, valued at $42 each, and a calculator valued! at $5O, were taken.

Goods to a total value of $lO6O were taken in the two offences, said Sergeant Mcßae. On April 4, the defendant had been apprehended in a car and the tyres, calculator, and tool boxes were found in the car, said Sergeant Mcßae. The defendant had said j they were “spur of the moI ment jobs” and he did not know why' he had committed them. CO-OFFENDERS Three 17-year-old youths were | convicted on a variety of charges involving an unlawfully taken car and burglaries, and were re-1 manded on bail to April 21 for I sentence. They are Dennis Arthur Williams, a sheet metal worker, Terence Dsmond Burgess, an appren-; tiee carpenter, and Peter James | Anderson, a labourer, who all: pleaded guilty to a charge of i burgling the premises of Canter- ’ bury Sheepskin Accessories, Ltd, on March 7. Peals of guilty were also en-i tered by Burgess and Williams to charges of unlawfully taking al

•Icar on March 31 and stealing goods from a parked car ii Rugby Street on April 12; b\ Anderson and Williams to <, charge of wilfully damaging « ■ car on March 31; by Burgess tc a charge of burgling the premises of Naysmiths, Ltd. Fairing- , ton Avenue, on April 12; and by i Williams to a charge of receiving a cassette recorder valued at $l2O, from Burgess on April 4. Sergeant Mcßae said that on i March 31 a car valued at $l9OO. the property of Lawrence John ■i Woolley, was taken from Chapel • Street by Williams and Burgess. The car was later recovered in Waimakariri Road. Williams caused $lBO worth of j damage by using the boot and bonnet “as a trampoline” and Anderson, who was in a following car. $llO worth of damage by smashing the windscreen with a length of pipe On April 7 all three defendants j burgled the premises of Canterbury Sheepskin Accessories Ltd. I and took goods worth $217. three Inairs of bools from the burglary were later found at Anderson’s address. On April 12 Williams and Burgess were also seen taking two ear speakers and a sheepskin rug | from a car in Rugby Street, said Sergeant Mcßae. The same night Burgess broke the displav window of Navsmiths | Ltd, and took a cassette recorder which he later gave to Williams. i OBSTRUCTED CONSTABLE Raymond Wlremu Mamaku, a soldier (Mr M. B. O’Regan), was ( fined a total o£ $6O on charges of: obstructing and resisting a constable at the Black Horse Hotel lon March 22. He pleaded guilty. STOLE ORANGES Shirlev Annette Woodward, a i machinist, was convicted and! fined $lO, when she pleaded: guilty to a charge of stealing a bag of oranges, valued at 96c, on April 14. (Before Mr K. H. J. Headifen, S.M.) ASSAULT A man was left lying unconscious on the footpath of Colombo Street on February’ 5 after he was assaulted by John Woodham Jennings, the Court was told.

f ! Jennings, aged 29. a storeman j-rMr M. J. Glue), pleaded guiltv t |to a charge of injuring Chunilal 1 Panchai with intent. ; He was convicted and re- [ manded to Anri) 21 for sentence. ‘ Sergeant Fronting said that 1 .--.bout 10.25 p.m. the attention of a police patrol was drawn to a •] group of people standing in Colombo Street. 1 The cmplainant was found ivtnj unconscious on the footpath. Witnesses said they had seen Jennings strike the complainant many times and then bang his t head against a shop door. j| The defendant then kicked the complainant in the ribs. | The defendant was later found | and in explanation for his actions [Said that lie had walked past the > I complainant and felt someone; s I touch his testicles. There was no- ■ one else near him. SIX OFFENCES ' Norman Leslie Mikoz. aged 17,! a forklift driver (Mr D. J. Rother-' (ham), was convicted and re- • i manded for scntnece on two ij charges of receiving, throe of : burglary, and one of assault. • The defendant pleaded not guilty to charges of burgling , j three flats at 270 Gloucester ! Street on January 22 where a i man’s wristwatch, a revolver and i $7O in cash was stolen. He also I pleaded not guilty to charges of

'receiving goods with a total i [ value of $538 from Manuariki Kouka on December 26 at Alex i, andra. i He pleaded guiltv to assaulting Geoffrey Alan Baker at j Christchurch on March 26. Russell Digby-Smith said that < he was camping at Alexandra on December 26. Goods including three rifles, two tape recorders, a torch, binoculars and clothing • were stolen from his car which I was left locked. | These goods were presented to 1 the Court as exhibits b\ Detec- . tive L. B. Halsel who had ; searched the defendant’s car and found the goods on January 22. j Peter Ross Donnelly, who was ’ also on holiday in the area, said j in evidence that he had a sleep ; ing bag and a watch stolen from i his tent. Occupants cf three flats at 270 Gloucester Street gave evidence I and also identified stolen ' property. j The defendant said that he did not know the goods had been stolen and only realised they were in his van after he. . discovered some of them when

cleaning his car some time later I in Christchurch. He denied entering the Gloucester Street premises. His evidence was not accepted, said the Magistrate. HIT CONSTABLE Michael Graeme Power, aged 20. a steel worker (Mr P. F. Whiteside), was convicted and fined $5O when he was convicted' on a charge of assaulting lan * Keith Ingham a constable in the execution of his duty. The defendant pleaded not guiltv to the charge uhich arose, after an incident at the Christ church Police Station on January 19. In evidence Constable Ingham said that the defendant had gone to the station in an attempt to sign bail for his brother.! After allegations that he spat at a policewoman he was told to leave but became abusive and refused. Constable Ingham said he was later hit by the defendant in the stomach. In evidence the defendant said i he was not satisfied with the | way the situation was being handled and wanted an explanation. Constable Ingham had “grabbed my right arm and

escorted me to the door.” The defendant said he pulled \ his arm free but denied hitting I 11 j the constable. I The Magistrate said he did not | ‘ I believe a word of the defend- : 1 ant’s evidence. “1 much prefer | the prosecution,” he said. a REMANDED On three charges of false picrite nee and one of theft Peter] ! Shane Gibson, aged 22 (Mr A. {jW, Robinson), was remanded to! (: April 21 to enable him to be j ,! medically examined to determine i his fitness for periodic detention. , j The defendant previously i pleaded guilty to the charges, j I The Court earlier heard that on i j February 13, the Bank of New I i Zealand at Hornby reported that! , I three cheques in the name of J. -1 P. Fleming had been cashed at I " sub-branches. The cheques were! each for $45. Inquiries revealed that the de-; ! Cendant had been living at the, ,: same address as the complainant 1 1 ■ up to February 13. The complain-! - ant had gone on holiday before j. > this and on his return found! E his cheque book missing. < Mr Robinson said the offences t had been committed as an act > of revenge rather than with ■ criminal intent. The complainant ! i had previously taken steps to j I stop the defendant getting . i alternative accommodation after : he left his flat.