MAGISTRATES COURT Prisoner popped out for a drink

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33964, 3 October 1975, Page 10

MAGISTRATES COURT Prisoner popped out for a drink

An inmate of Addington Prison cut through a bar in his cell on Wednesday night and escaped to a nearby hotel to drink until closing time, the Magistrate’s Court heard yesterday. Before Mr E. S. J. Crutchley, S.M., was Wereta Talnui, aged 30, who pleaded guilty to a charge of escaping. He was convicted and remanded to October 9 for a probation report and sentence. Senior-Sergeant G. • A. Clewer said that about 9 p.m. on October 1 the defendant escaped from his cell after cutting through a bar of his window. He used the sheets from his bed to scale a wall and then went to a nearby hotel where he drank until closing time. The police located him at 2.30 a.m. at a friend’s house. He had said he had been getting depressed and that prison had got on top of him. The duty-solieitor, Mr P. D. Lublow, said that Tainui had been worried about his de facto wife. PSYCHIATRIC REPORT A woman, aged 20, appeared on a charge of disposing of the body of a dead child with the Intention of concealing the fact of its death. She entered no Plea and was remanded to October 9 for a psychiatric and medical report, under section 47 A of the Criminal Justice Act OVERSTAYED PERMIT A Fijian who overstayed his permit to visit New Zealand by more than two years will be deported. He is Shusbil Baran Rao, aged 24, a factory worker, who pleaded guilty to a charge of overstaying a temporary permit to enter New Zealand. The Magistrate ordered that he be detained pending deportation under section 20 of the Immigration Act. Mr D. J. L. Saunders, for the Immigration Department, said that Rao had come tn New Zealand in December. 1973, with a three-month visitor’s permit.

As a result of police inquiries into another matter, he was found to he living in Christchurch in August this year. Mr Saunde-s told the Court that Rao had since apn’ied to the Minister of Immigration for an extension of bis permit. This had b“en refused.

Mr D. C, Fitrgibbon. for Rao. said he believed the Department of Immigration was trying to make a “showcase” at the expense of th“ defendant. He said that similar charges brought by the department against a group of Samoans had

been dropped after they offered to pay their own fares home. Rao was of good character, and had not realised the seriousness of his offence, Mr Fitzgibbon said. REPRIMANDED DAUGHTER A man who had beaten his 17-year-old daughter about the buttocks, face, and legs with a toilet-brush, was convicted and fined $25 on a charge of assault. He pleaded guilty. Senior-Sergeant Clewer said that the man, whose name was suppressed, had come home atfer receiving a phone call from a work-mate saying that the girl had not been attending her work regularly. He said the girl had arrived home from a meeting when she was beaten by her father. The girl was later examined by a doctor, but required no treatment.

Counsel (Mr M. J. Glue) said that the defendant was genlunely 1 concerned about his daughter’s welfare and was worried about his daughter's attitude to work. “He was acting in what he thought to be the appropiate manner," counsel said. The Magistrate said he was not prepared to dismiss the charge under section 42 of the Criminal Justice Act and said this was a case where the defendant had gone too far. ASHBURTON OFFENCES Two men who stole goods—including women’s clothing—from Ashburton shops on Wednesday, appeared on a total of seven charges of theft. Hira Junior Te Aho, alias Pania Te Aho, alias Lee Rang!, aged 32, an unemployed waiter, pleaded guilty to four charges. He was convicted and remanded to October 9 for a probation report and sentence. The second man, Frances Bowring, alias Frank Dominic Petherick, alias Tina Haynes, alias Catherine White, aged 23, unemployed, was convicted and remanded to October 9 on three charges of theft. He pleaded guilty. Senior-Sergeant Clewer said that Te Aho had admitted stealing one brassiere, valued at $6.50, the property of persons un. known; one pepper shaker, valued at $3, from the Ashbur. ton Gift and Garden Centre; clothing worth $36.45, the property of the Lady Serene Shop; and other clothing, valued at $36, from Antoinette Gowns, Ltd, in Bridge Street. Bowring was charged with stealing one jar of skin cream, valued at 85c, from Seeger’s Grocery Shop; clothing worth $29.95; the property of Lady Serene; and a plastic toy, valued at 91.50, from the Triangle Cycle Store. The value of the stolen goods totalled more than $lOO. Senior-Sergeant Clewer said that the defendants had been in possession of the stolen property when they were apprehended in Tancred Street, Ashburton, on Wednesday afternoon. When interviewed by the police both Te Aho and Bowring had admitted the offences, he said.

STRUCK CONSTABLE On a charge of assaulting Constable I. K. Ingham, on July 14, William Edward Dawson, aged 29, unemployed (Mr K. J. Osborn), was. put on probation for one year, ordered to do 80 hours of community work and ordered to take a course of treatment or education for alcoholism. He had pleaded guilty. Mr Osborn said that the defendant had been drinking in a hotel and went to his car to drive home. However, a nearby re. sident took the rotor from his car and called the police.

When the police arrived they took awav the defendant’s keys. He asked for a ride, but was refused. He then lost his temper and struck the constable through the window. The Magistrate said that although the defendant had other convictions for assault, he was apparently a good husband, a good father, and a good worker.

TOOK CAR

Robert Paul Cook, aged 17, a driver (Mr C. K. Steven), was put on one year’s probation, ordered to do 80 hours of community work, and disqualified from driving for six months, on a charge of unlawfully taking a

car, valued at $l2OO. He had pleaded guilty. Mr Steven submitted that the defendant was one of a group who had been drinking before they took the car. They had taken the car home, slept off the effects of the alcohol, and then driven to the West Coast and back. THEFT OF VASES Sharyn Christine Lamb, aged 19, employed (Mr M. J. Glue\ who had previously pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing two vases, valued at $l6, the property of Cronin Antiques, was put on one year’s probation and ordered to do 60 hours of community work. Mr Glue said that the probation report showed that there had been a recent change in Lamb’s attitude. She had applied to seven firms, but had been unable to get a job. At the time of the offence she bad been short of money.

The Magistrate said that he noted that she had now got a job. RECEIVING A man who bought four radtal tyres, valued at $209, for a total cost of $6O, appeared for sentence on a charge of receiving stolen property. Ernest Alexander Clydesdale, aged 46, a driver, was put on probation for 12 months and ordered to do 80 hours of community work. He had pleaded guilty. Counsel (Mr M, J. Glue), sub. mitted that poor health bad been Sartly responsible for Clydesale’s actions.

He said the defendant had a good work record, and had no firevious convictions for offences nvolving dishonesty.

SHOPLIFTING On a charge of stealing goods valued at $2.60, the property of Woolworths, N.Z., Ltd. on September 9, Belinda Sue Thompson, aged 19, was convicted and put on probation for one year. She pleaded guilty.