MAGISTRATE’S COURT Burglar dropped envelope

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33934, 29 August 1975, Page 11

MAGISTRATE’S COURT Burglar dropped envelope

A 23-year-old nian,| who after burgling a house in Cashel Street on June 6 and dropping a letter there addressed to himself, was convicted and remanded for sentence until 2.15 p.m. today, when he appeared before Mr J. B. Bergin, S.M., in the Christchurch Magistrate’s Court yesterday. He pleaded not guilty to the] charge. Gary John Jamieson (Mr D. C. Fitzgibbon), a rigger, broke’ into the residence of David Stanley John Tranter, taking a wallet containing $l5 and I causing damage worth $lO. In evidence, Mr Tranter said that he and his wife left their home about 6 p.m. to; visit friends, returning about ] 11.30 p.m. to find the house j lights on. "The house was secured when we left and all the; lights were out,” he said. I The complainant tried to, open the front door but found’ the key would not fit. “I went] around to the back of the’ house, but couldn’t move the: back door either,” he said. He; then went up the street and; called the police. When the police arrived,] the back door was again ] tried and it opened. “We] went in but found no-one in the house,” he said. "The place was in one hell] of a mess and I found an en-| velope near the door at the far side of the lounge.” The envelope, the witness said, had the defendant’s name on it and several handwritten hotel addresses and, telephone numbers on it. A police hand-writing expert from Wellington, Inspec-j tor J. A. West, said in evidence that the handwriting on the'envelope and that of a specimen taken by the police from the defendant were, in his opinion, written by the | same man. 1 Wayne Robin Crouper said in evidence that a man, who he recognised as the defendant, called at his house on! the evening of June 6 and! I asked where the complainant,] I Mr Tranter, lived. “About fifteen minutes after he called at my house , I saw all the lights on at the ] complainant’s home,” he said. Christine Joy Goldring, another neighbour, said that the defendant had also called at her home on the 6th and had asked where the defendant ’lived. “He semed very angry! and looked as if he had been drinking.” she said. She looked out her window to see the defendant knocking on Mr Tranter’s side door and then move to the back of the house. She later saw

i all the house lights on and 'the defendant coming from the rear of the house. Ross William Thurston, a constable attached to the Christchurch C. 1.8., said he interviewed the defendant, who denied all knowledge of the burglary and the envelope, saying he had been at the hotel in the morning with his “boss” and had later gone to his boss’s home for a “feed.” He said he did not make any house-calls and added he was fairly drunk that night. A series of photographs was also shown to Miss Goldring who picked out the defendant from the selection, the constable said. In evidence the defendant said that he and his boss and friends were drinking at the Grosvenor Hotel until about 7 p.m. and had then gone to his boss’s home for a meal. “We later went to the Woolston Tavern, where we stayed until after closing time. I had drunk about six jugs, I suppose,” he said. After leaving the hotel he was dropped at home by his Iboss and then cooked another meal and went looking for .his wife. He said he saw her getting off a bus along Stanmore Road, where he had an ! argument with her. The defendant said he had used physical violence against his wife and had (given her a black eye. ASSAULT ON CONSTABLE I Lee Edward McDougall, aged ;20, unemployed, was convicted i and sentenced to one month’s imprisonment when he appeared for sentence on a charge of assaulting a constable in the execution of his duty. Four charges were originally laid against the defendant relating to unlawfully taking a motorvehicle, failing to stop and ascertain any injuries suffered after an accident, and refusing to give a blood sample; these were earlier dismissed by the Magistrate. Counsel iMr D. J. R. Holderness), said that the defendant was in an advanced state of intoxication at the time of the offence. If he had been sober the offence might never have occurred. The Magistrate said that McDougall had a deplorable record for a man of his age. Considerable time and expense had been used in trying to reform him and a period of custodial sentence was necessary. j (Before Mr F. G. Paterson, S.M.) ’ ASSAULT WITH RIFLE A 19-year-old youth who had I previously pleaded gulltv to a charge of assault on a young woman in her house in Gisborne and been convicted was sentenced to six months periodic detention, and placed on probation for 18 months. Kenneth James Irvine Watson had also pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawfully having a rifle in a public place. He was convicted. The court had previously been told that the defendant had travelled to Gisborne in early January, starting a relationship with the complainant. On the evening of April 26 lie had telephoned her several times'and later called on her. carrying a .308 rifle. He hit the complainant with the rifle, causing bruising. Mr G. M. Brodie, for the defendant. said he was in a state

ol great emotional turmoil at the time of the offence but was now in a more stable situation. SUPPRESSED A youth who locked himself in a bedroom intending to kill himself with his father’s rifle, one day in June was released on probation for 18 months when he appeared for sentence on a charge of discharging a .303 rifle in a house. The youth, whose name was suppressed, had previously pleaded guilty and been convicted. The court had been told that the defendant “went berserk” in his house and was subsequently found lying on the floor of a bedroom. He was taken to hospital and discharged the next day. As special conditions of his probation, the Magistrate ordered the defendant to take such psychological counselling, and counselling in respect of alcohol, 'as the probation officer directed. RETAINED KEYS A man who retained the keys to his employer’s premises after he left the job, later used them i to break into the premises, the court was told. Allan Edward Faass, aged 31, an unemployed cutter, pleaded guilty to breaking and entering the premises of McLeod Fabrics, Ltd, on March 28. He was convicted and remanded on bail until September 4 for sentence. Sergeant Boyle said the defendant worked for the complainant firm for a short time in 1974. He had keys to the premises, and retained them when he left. He told the police he had decided to use them when he found himself in financial difficulties. DISORDERLY BEHAVIOUR Peter Thomas Gilmour, aged 18. a Post Office worker, was convicted and lined $5O when ne pleaded guilty to a charge of behaving in a disorderly manner in a public place on June 21. Sergeant Boyle said the defendant went to a hamburger bar on the Main North Road, Belfast, about 9.30 p.m. He jumped over the counter and pushed the manager against a wall. He interfered with the vegetables prepared for cooking, and waved a spatula and a knife at the staff. For the defendant, Mr C. A. McVeigh, said his client had been drinking at his football club, and was very drunk. Nobody had feared for their safety | as the defendant was too drunk i to be anything but a nuisance.

COMMUNITY WORK Bernard Patrick Jennings, aged 20, a process worker, was placed on probation lor J 8 ] months and ordered to do 160 j hours of community work when I he appeared for sentence on one charge of burgling th** premises of Brian Hepburn, Ltd, on August 7, and one of resisting a constable. The court had previously heard that the defendant became abusive and resisted a constable when questioned about the burglary. The defendant had taken a tape recorder, cash and a pass book for a social club when he burgled the premises at - night on August 7. For the defendant, Mr R. MeSporran said the burglary was done purely as an effort to gain finance. The defendant was , heavily in debt and had no I assets. EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL Geoffrey Albert Roberts, aged i 25, a rubber worker, was convicted and fined $l5O and disqualified from driving for nine months, when he pleaded guilty to a charge of driving with an excessive blood-alcohol level (152 mgi. on July 4. l.ia Joseph McHugh, aged 28, a radiator repairman, was convicted and fined $l5O and disqualified from driving for nine months on a charge of driving

with an excess blood-alcohol I level. He pleaded guilty. He was also convicted and i tilled $lO on a charge of driving without a warrant of fitness. Sergeant Boyle said the de- ! fendant had driven his car into I the Avon River on the evening [of July 7. I (Before Mr W. F. Brown, S.M.) RECEIVING A young man was convicted and sentenced to detention centre training on a charge of receiving shearing equipment valued at S2lO the property of the New Zealand Farmers’ Cooperative, Ltd, at Oxford. ' Reginald Walter Ruru Hutana, aged 18, a freezing worker, had pleaded not guilty to the charge on July 7. In sentencing, the Magistrate told Hutana that he took the view that it was a serious offence and the defendant was fortunate that he was not being sent to Borstal.