MAGISTRATE’S COURT Dispute over car bodies ended in assault

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33819, 16 April 1975, Page 11

MAGISTRATE’S COURT Dispute over car bodies ended in assault

A dispute between twoi adjoining car dealers, onj Waltham Road, over a pile of old car bodies, led to one of the dealers being fined $l5O for assault. Before Mr E. S. J. Crutchley, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday was Christopher Cliff Morris, who pleaded guilty to a charge of assaulting Neil Maurice Barker on February 7. Mr S. G. Erber, for Morris, said that Morris hired a bulldozer to get rid of some grass on his section. The grass was removed and some old car bodies that were also on the section were piled near the boundary with Mr Barker’s

property. Mr Barker then hired his own bulldozer and moved the car bodies back, scattering them over the section, said counsel. This angered the defendant and he lost his temper. He pushed Mr Barker to the ground three times and dragged him a short distance.

Mr Erber said that it appeared that Mr Barker; thought he had some right to move the car bodies when; some .of the bodies fell on to his property. RECEIVING CHARGES A married woman pleaded guilty to five charges of receiving stolen goods valued at $3640, including $2015 worth of jewellery and five television sets. Margaret Ethel Plar.k, aged 21, also pleaded guilty to two charges of burglary. She was convicted on all charges and remanded in custody to April 22 for sentence. Sergeant Gardiner said most of the goods came from property valued at $12,383 taken in four burglaries committed between November and December 13 at Christchurch. Or. December 13 Plank and a companion were apprehended at a jewellery shop when Plank went to uplift three rings worth more than $lBOO. A search was

then made of her flat and the stolen property found. She also admitted burgling a house it Glandovey Road on December 12, when $1702 worth of property was stolen, and burgling a house in Worsleys Road, when $930 worth of goods were taken. The goods she had received were given to her by a Maori man who asked her to sell them she told the police. SIX MONTHS GAOL Keith Miles Levy, aged 20, a

panel beater (Mr A. F. W. Wilding), was imprisoned for six 1 months on five charges of burg- , I lary, four of false pretence, L and one of attempted false pre- | • tence. He had previously pleaded guilty. ■ The Magistrate said that the ’ i defendant forged five cheques and cashed four of them for I money, $7B of which was still outstanding. The defendant had a bad recS ord and had breached the terms of the probation he had been previously sentenced to. > Mr Wilding said that Levy had f given himself up to the police a and had also paid back some of ' the money he obtained by false pretence. TWENTY CHARGES A woman, who during four s years, obtained money and goods worth $1273 by forging and steals ing cheques belonging to her de F facto husband, was put on pro--5 bation for 12 months when she Q appeared for sentence. “ Ruth Heather Mary Neil, aged 5 33 (Mr M. J. Glue) had earlier

pleaded guilty to three charges of stealing a cheque and 17 charges of forging a cheque. The offences occurred between June 14, 1971, and March 6, 1975. The defendant had said she could not manage on the money her de facto husband gave her. Most of the cheques had been presented for goods and money at grocery stores. ESCAPE CHARGE Four men were remanded in custody to April 22 when they appeared on a charge of attempting to escape from Addington Prison on February 28. They are Timoti Herewini, aged 22, James Rewi Williams, Malkit Singh, and Trevor Raymond Harold Riding. No plea was entered. A fifth man, Bunny Friday Harrison, aged 32. appeared on a charge of assisting Herewini to escape on the same date. He was remanded to April 22 without plea. BORSTAL TRAINING Carol Evelyn Bramley, aged 18, a factory worker (Mr A. S. Menzies) was sent to Borstal on 20 charges of unlawfully getting into a car, four of theft, one of unlawfully taking a car and one of receiving stolen property. She had pleaded guilty to all charges. Senior-Sergeant W. Gibbs had earlier said that Bramley committed most of the offences with three youths.

ASSAULT A man who knocked another man to the ground ar.d kicked him, was remanded on bail to April 22 for sentence on a charge of assault. He is Terrence Rangi Whittaker, aged 17, a labourer, who pleaded guilty to assaulting Peter James Humphrey on April 4. About 6.20 p.m. the complainant and his fiancee went to cross Stanmore Road and walked between a car and a truck, said Sergeant Gardiner. The car

suddenly moved forward and the complainant had to pull his fiancee out of the way. After exchanging words with the defendant, the driver of the car, the complainant was punched and kicked about the head. When interviewed, Whittaker said that he did not like being sworn at. FIFTEEN CHARGES A man who pleaded guilty to 12 charges of forgery and three charges of false pretence was convicted and remanded to April 24 for sentence. Roy Patrick Clemments. aged 42, was remanded in custody. He was remanded to the same date when he pleaded not guilty to charges of theft and unlawfully landing in New Zealand. Sergeant Gardiner said that on March 7, the complainant, A. J. Brown, had reported to the police that her handbag containing cheques had been stolen. On March 21, two $2O travellers’ cheques were given to the complainant, W. McClelland, as payment for lodging in Papanui Road. On the same day $2O was paid to the Dominion Hotel, also for lodging. On March 22 the defendant was located in a city hotel. He was spoken to about the valueless cheques and asked if he had any more. He had produced some from his pocket. These were later identified as belonging to the complainant, Brown. PROBATION

John Edward Davie, a bricklayer’s labourer, was put on probation for 18 months and disqualified from driving for six months, when he appeared for sentence on a charge of unlawfully interfering with a van, valued at $BOO, on March 30. He had pleaded guilty. As special conditions of probation, he was ordered to work and reside as directed. Senior-Sergeant Gibbs said earlier that Davie had left his home in a borrowed car. When it broke down he tried to stai't a van belonging to his employer. ASSAULTED TAXI-DRIVER

Ahu Taylor, aged 25, was sentenced to three months periodic detention, when he appeared for sentence on a charge of assaulting Cecil Robert Buckley on March 29. He had previously pleaded guilty. FIVE OFFENCES

Peter Sola Lolesi, aged 18, unemployed (Mr M. J. Glue), was pul on prooation for two years on one charge of using heroin and four charges of burglary. He pleaded guilty. He was also ordered to pay $220 compensation, to live and work where directed, and to take such psychiatric or medical treatment as directed by the probation officer. The Magistrate said that three of the burglaries had been committed to get drugs and the other burglary to get property, $202 worth of which was still missing. Sergeant Prouting said that Lolesi went to a motel on April 12 and injected himself with a small quantity of heroin. He paid another man $4 for the heroin. USED HEROIN Roger Henry Bastion, aged 27, unemployed, was convicted and remanded on bail to April 22, on his plea of guilty to a charge of using the narcotic, heroin, on April 12. Sergeant Gardiner said that on April 14. the defendant had been interviewed by the police. He had bruising and puncture marks on his arms consistent with intravenous injections. On the previous Saturday, the defendant said, he had been to a city motel, where he had bought a small amount of heroin for $4. He had injected himself with the drug. PERIODIC DETENTION On a charge of being in possession of instruments for burglary by night at Greymouth on March 17, James Francis Wilson, aged 23. a truck driver, was sentenced to six months periodic detention. Wilson and two other persons were found in a car park behind a chemist’s shop. Wilson had socks oh his hands and was carrying a jemmy. He admitted that he intended to break into the shop to get narcotics. The Magistrate said that Wilson had two previous convictions for dishonesty. He had personal problems but was making an effort to overcome his dependence on drugs. HAD CANNABIS Stephen John Kamo, aged 18, an unemployed driver (Mr E. T. Higgins) was convicted on his plea of guilty to a charge of possessing cannabis on April 6, and was remanded on bail to April 22 for sentence. Sergeant Gardiner said that when Kamo visited the Christhurch Central Police Station he was noticed to be under the influence of drink or drugs and: -melt of cannabis. «amo admitted having smoked some cannabis while with friends. BURGLED CYCLE SHOP A man who pleaded guilty to a charge of burgling the premises of Eric Wood Motor Cycles Ltd. Manchester Street, ■bout March 30. was convicted ■nd remanded to April 22. John Gavin Donaldson aged ’7. was remanded on bail. Sergeant Gardiner said that at 2 am. the defendant was seen bv the police to be a pillion passenger on a motor-cycle ‘ravelling along Durham Street. He was wearing a crash helmet. jacket. and gloves which vere identified as having been stolen from Eric Wood Motor “voles. Ltd. on the previous -vening. The price tags were ■t’U on the clothing. The defendant said ho had met ‘he person riding the motor■vole and was just going for a ■ide on it. The mofor-cvcle was also taken t the time of the burglary, said ’ergeant Gardiner. FINED $250 William Paul Ness, aged 21, an rnrentice carpenter, was fined 3250 ‘on a charge of possessing cannabis on February 27.

Mr P. J. Rutledge, for the defendant, said that 186 cannabis seeds and a small amount of cannabis found by the police did not belong to Ness, who denied that he told the police that he intended to use the seeds to grow the drug. He very rarely smoked cannabis. The drug and seeds had been left at Ness's home after a party. The Magistrate said that it had been stated that Ness was shielding someone else. Ness’s good sense and intelligence should make this his last offence. THEFTS FROM HOTEL A man who stole travellers’ cheques, trousers, and a briefcase containing a book from hotel rooms pleaded guilty to two charges of theft and one charge of receiving a P. 0.5.8. cheque. David Francis White, aged 38, an unemployed cook, was convicted and remanded on bail to April 22 for sentence. Sergeant Gardiner said that the defendant stole four travellers' cheques worth $5O each and the other goods from rooms at the Occidental Hotel on March 20 and March 23. White was wearing the stolen trousers when interviewed. He admitted the thefts and said he had received another cheque from a man in a hotel bar. ATTEMPTED BURGLARY On a charge of attempting to burgle a house in River Road on March 27, Brian Christopher Mules, aged 20, an electrician (Mr D. H. P. Dawson), was fined $l5O and disqualified from driving for six months. He pleaded guilty. Mr Dawson said that the offence was hard to understand and could not be explained by the defendant’s background. FALSE PRETENCE Brenda Margaret Dougherty, unemployed (Mr T. Sissons), was remanded on bail to Apri] 22 for sentence, after pleading not guilty to a charge of false presence involving $3O. on February 8. EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL On a charge of driving with an excessive blood-alcohol level (204 mg), James Tainui, aged 48, a sawmill hand (Mr A. W. Robinson), was fined $2OO and disqualified from driving for 18 months. He pleaded guilty. Neville James Mark Austin, aged 18, a labourer, was disqualified from driving for six months and fined $5O when he was convicted on his plea of guilty on a charge of driving with an excessive blood-alcohol level (116 mg) on Harewood Road on December 24. (Before Mr K. H. J. Headifen, S.M.) TWO CHARGES Laurence Clyne Simmiss. aged 23, a truck driver (Mr P. L. Rutledge), was ordered to come up foi sentence within six months if called upon, when he pleaded guilty to charges of theft, and assuming the name of a member of the police. Mrs I. Downey said the defendant had gone to her home on December 19 to see his wife and children. Witness said Simmiss had asked for $2 to get a taxi’ home. When she looked in her purse she found $2 to be missing. • defendant had been alone ln the sitting room, and witness said her purse had been on the couch in there. Tn relation to the other offence, Sergeant Fronting said f hat on December 14. the defendant had telephoned a woman in Papanui claiming he was Detecue U /Vl7 10re ’ of the Christehnrch CJ.B. The defendant had admtted ’’sing the name and said he did 't t° scare the complainant. He did not know it was an offence to use the name. At the time the offences were committed, the defendant had mst come out of prison, had no money could not get a job. and Rutledge. WaS rUins> said Mr FINED $5O On a charge of unlawfully getting into a car. valued at‘sl4oo on December 27. James George Lawrie, aged 18. a factory guilty r ' WaS fin<?d sso ' He P leaded

OBSTRUGTED CONSTABLE Albert James Stevenson, aged i, con y Iet J ed and fined $4O P’® a ded guilty to a