Defendant’s car spat on

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33959, 27 September 1975, Page 7

Defendant’s car spat on

A man who hit a youth for spitting on his car in Cathedral Square was convicted and fined $lOO by Mr E. S. J. Crutchley, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court yesterday.

James Edward Hussey, aged 25, a jeweller, pleaded guilty to assaulting Paul Daniel Keoron on September 21.

Sergeant K. T. Boyle said the defendant was seen hitting the complainant, who was sitting in a car, and holding him so that the complainant was unable to protect himself. He told the police the complainant had abused him and had spat on his car. For the defendant, Mr G. S. Brockett said the complainant and some other youths had parked their car outside a hamburger bar in The Square, next to the defendant’s car. The defendant had gone into the shop to get something to drink.

When he came out of the shop the complainant shouted obscene language at the defendant and his passengers. The defendant went over and told him to stop, and the complainant spat on the defendant’s car. The defendant went back and the complainant grabbed him by the jersey. The defendant then “took matters into his own hands” and hit the complainant more than once, Mr Brockett said. ENTERED HOUSE On a charge of unlawfully entering a house in Matipo Street with intent to commit a crime, Rex David Blackwell, aged 18, unemployed, was convicted and remanded to October 3 for sentence, after pleading guilty. Sergeant Boyle said that the police were called to a house in Matipo Street at 8.15 p.m. on July 31. On arrival they found that the occupants of the house had detained the defendant. The defendant admitted entering the house in order to steal, and said he did it because he was out of work. He had thought an elderly couple lived there. TWO BURGLARIES Robert David Shields, aged 18. a gatekeeper, pleaded guißy and was convicted on two charges of burglary. He was remanded to October 3 for a probation report and sentence.

Sergeant Boyle said that on September 4 the defendant entered Diggs Barker Sales, Ltd. Waltham Road, by forcing a window, and stole property worth $5lO. He also entered Nightingale Products, Ltd, Leyden Street, by removing a plaster panel, and stole property worth $383. When interviewed, he had

admitted entering two premises and had told police he was trying to get some money because he had none. CHEQUE OFFENCES

A man forged two cheques and his son used them to obtain goods, the Court was told. Walter William James Beech, aged 42, a cement worker, pleaded guilty to two charges of forgery and his son, William James Beech, aged 20, a sickness beneficiary, pleaded guilty to two charges of false pretence and two charges of presenting a cheque knowing it to be forged. Both men were convicted and remanded on bail to October 3 for sentence.

Sergeant Boyle said that on June 4 the son presented a cheque for $46.26 to a hire firm in payment for the hire of a sander. The cheque was made out to the defendant and was signed S. L. Pearce. On July 20 the son presented another cheque, for $5O, to the Islington Dairy in payment for two cartons of cigarettes. Change of $41.20 was given to him. When interviewed on September 12 the son had admitted knowing the cheques were forged. He had said he was short of money. The father had also admitted forging the cheques when interviewed. He had said he found the cheques in the rubbish dump at Sockbum and forged them because he needed money. The police are seeking compensation of $48.13 from each (defendant. ATTEMPTED THEFT

A young man who was (caught trying to take a cassette recorder from a car, (was put on one year’s probation and ordered to do 90 ' hours of community work, !on a charge of attempted (theft.

He is Phillip Christopher Court, aged 20, who had previously pleaded guilty. In mitigation, Mr S. P. Graham said that the defendant and his fiancee were walking from a hotel when he noticed a car with a broken windscreen. He reached inside the car and tried to take a radio cassette.

It was an impulsive theft, said counsel, and the defendant had been frank about it to the police. He had been released for some months from the detention centre and was trying to cope with his drug problem. Things had been getting him dovyn and he was in financial difficulty.

I The Magistrate said that a i report from the warden of I the detention centre indic'ated that Court had poten-

tial and had otherwise behaved satisfactorily while on parole. EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL Michael Robert Lowry, aged 26, a barman (Mr D. H. Stringer), was put on probation for one year, fined $2OO and disqualified from driving for 18 months on a charge of driving with an excessive blood-alcohol level (348 mg The Magistrate also ordered that he take a course of education on alcoholism. Mr Stringer submitted that the defendant had had to pay $147 for a damaged telephone pole and also pay for his wife’s car, which was extensively damaged when he drove into the pole. The defendant had been injured in the accident. (Before Mr P. L. Molineaux, S.M.) POSSESSED CANNABIS An Australian man was convicted on a charge of possessing cannabis after a defended hearing. John Anthony Coyle, aged 21, an insurance clerk (Mr J. H, F. MacFarlane), was fined $75. Stephen Guy Collier, a customs officer at Christchurch International Airport, said in evidence that he inspected the defendant’s baggage on September 22, and found one bag containing cannabis and another containing a cannabis cigarette, in a toilet bag. The defendant had said he had purchased a matchbox, full of cannabis in a Newcastle hotel some time ago, on a day when the surf was not right.

He had also said that he had not known that the cannabis was in the toilet bag, as he had not used the bag for some time. Witness said that was something he heard from everybody in that situation.

A detective from the Christchurch drug squad said Coyle had purchased the narcotic in Australia two months ago. The defendant had told him it was not his intention to supply or sell the cannabis to any persons in New Zealand. It was solely for his own use.

A ’ scientist from the D.S.I.R. said the two bags of cannabis weighed 0.4 g and 4.6 g respectively. The Magistrate said that the defendant admitted purchasing the cannabis in (Newcastle, and that it was ifound at the top of the toilet (bag at one end. He said he was unable to accept that the defendant had not known that the cannabis was in his luggage when he packed to come to New Zealand.