MAGISTRATE'S COURT Man to pay court costs for shooting neighbour’s dog

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33869, 14 June 1975, Page 7

MAGISTRATE'S COURT Man to pay court costs for shooting neighbour’s dog

A man went to the Christchurch Central Police Sta tion in the early hours ol January 18 to give himseli up after he had shot his neighbour’s dog, the Magistrate’s Court was tok yesterday. As a result, Warwick John Davies, aged 43. a carpet cieaner, was convicted by Mr F. G Paterson. S.M., ant ordered to pay court costs on charges of discharging a shotgun and carrying a loaded shotgun. Davies (Mr R J Murfitt) had pleaded not guilty. Constable A. E. Ring said that he had been on duty al the Central Police Station at 2.45 a.m. when the defendant came into the building and said that he had come tc "give himself up for shooting a dog.’’ “He seemed very drunk. He told me he was sick o 1 the neighbour’s dogs, which had been plaguing him.’’ witness said. Patricia Melrose, a pensioner. said that the incident had occurred when she visited the defendant, who was her neighbour, late on the evening of January 17, with the intention of returning cigarettes she had borrowed from him. Her small pup had followed her. The pup remained outside the house, as the defendant did not like animals, she said. “We talked for a while. He heard my pup barking, and said: ’l’ll fix you.’ He stood up and loaded a shotgun," witness said. “I got frightened, and ran for my life,” she said. “I ran home and locked the back door. Then I heard a shot hit the tin fence near my house. I was too scared to do anything. I just sat there. 1 thought he was going to shoot me.” Witness said she later found out that her dog had been shot. Constable D. J. Moffat read an unsigned statement made by the defendant on January 21. The defendant later agreed that most of the statement was correct. In the statement, Davies said he was “sick and tired of Mrs Melrose’s dogs annoying himself and the

neighbours." On the night in question, she had come to his house, “rotten drunk." She had five' of her dogs with her. "One of her dogs bared his fangs at me. and I asked her to get them out. She didn't, soj I gob my shotgun.” the'! statement said. The Magistrate said it was) “a case between neighbours", in which emotions had run 1 high. The defendant had' been provoked about the dogs. T am surprised that as a sporting man with your’, knowledge you became involved in this," he told the defendant. “We do not have as much of a problem with; firearms in this country as! others have, and it is something we must safeguard; against very carefully.” NO CONVICTION A man who appeared for; sentence on a charge of receiving two microphone mixers was not convicted! but was ordered to do 100 hours community work. The! Magistrate said he would adjourn the case to October 13. The defendant. Paul Rere Wikatene. a forklift driver (Mr R. J. Murfitt), had pleaded not guilty to the, charge. Mr Murfitt said that if Wikatene was convicted he •would lose his job with the New Zealand Railways. This would be undue hardship for. him in the light of the facts presented to the Court. (Before Mr K. H. J. Headifen, S.M.). ARSON CHARGE George Patrick Shannon, eged 36. a Social Security, beneficiary, was remanded! on bail to June 20 on a charge of wilfully setting fire to sacking at the prem-' ises of Express Typesetting. Service, Ltd. 14 Coventry Street, on June 5. No plea was entered. CAUSED LN'JURY Kelvin Bruce Carey, aged 22. a cleaner, was convicted and fined $lOO. and disqualified from for

t- two years, on a charge oi a- driving with an excessive if blood-alcohol level (197 mg If He was also convicted and is fined $5O on a charge of s- careless use of a vehicle d causing bodily injury, and was convicted and disn charged on a charge of driv»t ing without a licence. y Carey pleaded guilty to id the charges which arose, :s said Sergeant 1. M. Gardiner, g from an incident at 7 p.m. a on February 28. The defendant had left a hotel at New :) • Brighton and while driving on Burwood Road had lost d control of his car which tt skidded and rolled over. The it passenger was thrown out it and taken to hospital with d head and back injuries. :o Mr M. J. Glue, for Carey, t-jsaid that the defendant had ! also been badly injured in t.jthe accident. >f The Magistrate said that h periodic detention would ” i have been imposed if Carey had passed the medical >-! examination. BROKE BOTTLES Sao Penei, aged 20, a car 'N assembler (Mr S. G. Mortal lock), was convicted and " fined $5O on a charge of wil- § | fully breaking bottles in “j Lichfield Street, having P | pleaded guilty. Detective Sergeant M. J. ® Muddiman said that about '■ 11.10 p.m. on June 5 Penei e and an associate were seen a to take bottles from a door-, ; way in Lichfield Street. They ’’leach smashed four bottles as e ‘ they walked along. Mr Mortlock said that Penei had been refused entry ";to a nighclub just before the P; offence. He had drunk three jI to four jugs of beer, y: BURGLARY o[ Ernest Allan Robertson. i aged 18, an unemployed facoltory worker, pleaded guilty jto a charge of burgling a r house at 29 Hillsborough | d Terrace, owned by Mabel I ' Thomasina Corbishley. He I it | was convicted and remanded! it!on bail to June 20. n Detective Sergeant Muddi-i it[man said that on June 6 the e; defendant had entered the house by forcing a partly | s open window and breaking! d it in the process. A ring,' si valued at $5, and $l5 ini e cash were stolen.

HAD CANNABIS ■ Jennifer Ann Barry, aged) 21. a nurse, was convicted! ’ and fined $l5O on a charge of possessing I.2gm of can- ’ nabis, having pleaded guilty, i ' Detective Sergeant Muddi’jman said that customs! officers at Christchurch Air-: port had found a trace of cannabis in Barry’s bag! when she arrived on a flight! from Australia on June 6.; [ She also had cannabis on, ! her person. She had said it, was for her own use. ! THEFT AS SERVANT Maurice Revell, aged 59, a; . butcher, was convicted and fined $4O after pleading! nguilty to a charge of steal-! j ing two pieces of steak, valued at $2.80, from his [-employer. Miracle Meat: Market, Ltd, at South New! i Brighton, on June 12. WILFUL DAMAGE Peter John Benson, a seaman, aged 19. pleaded guilty! [to a charge of wilfully dam-1 I aging a car, owned by Colin! Royce Brewer, and to a; charge of being a minor in a . bar. On the first charge, Ben-! :son was convicted and fined! $2O and ordered to pay)

t. $83.30 compensation. Fori »I being in the bar he was con-1 victed and fined $l5. L Detective Sergeant Muddi-, ! man said that about 9.30 -‘ p.m. on June 5 the defendant! 11 had been seen on the roof of| -a car in Lyttelton and laugh--j ing with two companions. The roof had been dented/ J!The police later found Ben-; ,ison in the cellar bar of the! ,! British Hotel. ■| Damage of $250 was done Tto the car’s roof. ) Counsel, Mr C. K. Steven, I I said that the defendant had ." attempted to run over the: !, car but had tripped and; ' damaged the roof when he; , fell. He had been under the 1 influence of drink. , CREDIT BY FRAUD j Erhand Kurt Imke, aged: i 25, a fitter and turner,! pleaded guilty to a charge of! t obtaining credit of $l3 by, 1 fraud from Ascot Motels, Ti-1 , maru. He was convicted and; j fined $2O, and ordered to! i pay $l3 restitution, having' pleaded guilty. r | 'STOLE KITCHENWARE .! Margaret Elizabeth Mac-! jidonald, aged 22, who took] . I kitchenware worth $46 from: ji her employer’s kitchen, was! convicted and fined a total) of $6O after pleading guilty-' to three charges of theft asl j'a servant. ij Sergeant N. W. Mcßae; i said that the defendant had' - stolen silver tableware while .1 employed as a kitchen hand ; 1 at J. Ballantyne and Com-! pany, Ltd, on June 4 and 5. i : The defendant had admit-! ted the thefts and had taken ([the police to her flat, where; tithey recovered all the pro-! , perty. BROKE BOTTLES . Peter Ronald Smith, aged ■ 17, was convicted and fined $4O on a charge of wilfully /breaking two bottles in a (public place on June 13. I Detective Sergeant MuddiIman said that the defendant ; I! had thrown the bottles at a i (cyclist after the cyclist had!, [broken a window in Smith’s!. II car. ! |(Before Mr E. S. J. Crutch-!i ley, S.M.) ; i PERIODIC DETENTION Russell James Perry, aged ( 22. an unemployed seaman,!■

'iwas sentenced to periodic! (detention for four months on (five charges and ordered to pay compensation of $6. i He had previously pleaded guilty to two charges of as-, '[saulting police constables,! resisting arrest, wilful tres-j pass, and wilfully damaging! . the watch of Constable B. G.: [Thomson, all on May 23, at! I Ashburton. The Magistrate said thatPerry had trespassed on a property in Walnut Avenue, [and had become violent! when the police tried to re-1 move him. Damage of $6! -had been done to a con-1 (stable’s watch. (Before Messrs W. H. Small! and D. H. Hemsley, Justices; of the Peace) COMMITTED FOR TRIAL j : A man of 54 was com-! mitted to the Supreme Court! ifor trial when he pleaded; (not guilty to six charges,! (after the taking of depos-l I itions. His" name was sup- - 'pressed. He appeared on two; (charges of doing indecent! I acts on a girl, two charges! lof assaulting the girl, one of! -inducing the girl to do an! (indecent act on him, and one: of doing an indecent act! (with the girl. ! At the time of the alleged , offences, the girl was 14.