MAGISTRATE’S COURT Addict told to quit dope habit

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 34021, 10 December 1975, Page 9

MAGISTRATE’S COURT Addict told to quit dope habit

“You are the only one who knows if you can break your involvement with narcotics,” Mr N. L. Bradford, S.M., said to Norman Epi Shalfoon in the Magistrate's Court yesterday.

Shalfoon, aged 21, a general hand, who had told the Magistrate last week that he had been addicted to drugs for about two months, was, put on probation for 181 months on a charge of ysingi the prescription poison tui-l nal.

The defendant was also ordered to live and work where directed, and to take, treatment for his drug prob-1 lem. He had pleaded guilty, to the charge. Sergeant T. Moore had! told the Court that Shalfoon: was found unconscious in I his flat and taken to hospi-j tai. He later admitted to thel police that he had both injected tuina] and taken it orally. Counsel (Mr D. H. P.l Dawson) said that Shalfoon had been in the process of starting some treatment for his drug problem when the offence occurred. His drug problem did not appear to be “irreversible” or beyond hope of being cured. Mr Dawson submitted that Shalfoon could “make a go of it” in the community —! "with supportive help, of course.” The Magistrate said that there were dangers in the way persons like Shalfoon acquired drugs: “You don’t know their strength or their ' purity.” There was also another danger which the defendant may not have realised. This was that persons taking drugs retained a • sub-lethal dose in their system. When ‘ they took what was nor-' 1 mally a “safe dose” the sub-> lethal level could turn into a., fatal level. “You were found uncon-; scious. How close to death ' you were I don’t know,” the [ Magistrate told the defendant. “If you want to destroy yourself, that’s your choice.” NO CONVICTION A driver who pleaded guilty to a charge of attempting to steal a chainsaw. valued at $205, from ? , goods yard, was discharged ; without conviction on the j condition that he pay $5O ' towards the cost of prosecution. h Magistrate: Do you drink? J Defendant: Yes.

■ Magistrate: How much a i week? Defendant: About $5. I Magistrate: If you are a ■ man you will give up going to the hotel for 10 weeks in i order to pay the $5O. Sergeant R. H. Prouting 'itold the Court that the defendant put the chainsaw in the cab of his truck, bu‘ ' I when the, police . arrived it J was found under a railway ’lwaggon near the truck. Counsel. -<Mr D. M. ; Palmer) said that the defendant took the chainsaw out of I the truck and put it back I where he got it because he : had a suspicion somebody '■had seen him. It was to the defendant’s [credit that he had admitted j to the police that he had intended to take the chainsaw home to cut firewood, counsel said. The Magistrate said that Ihe took into account that I the defendant had made a j “clean breast” to the police, I that he had lost his job, and I that he was a married man (with a family. EXCESS ALCOHOL Donald Joseph William. McKnight, aged 50, an assistant manager, was fined $325 and disqualified from driving for nine months on a charge of driving with an excessive blood-alcohol level (280 mg He pleaded guilty to the charge. (Before Mr H. J. Evans, S.M.) BRANDISHED BAYONET A 21-year-old foundry worker pleaded guilty to a charge of assault with intent to injure, alter a fracas in which five men were ' stabbed with a bayonet. Lealualu will was convicted and remanded to December 17 for a 'probation report and sen-; tence on a charge of assaulting; Trevor Matekitawhiti Ryland: with intent to injure. Detective Sergeant D. N. Scott told the Court that 12 Samoans had arrived at the defendant’s flat in Worcester Street on the evening of November 28. They told Vili that a friend had been punched in the face at a party down the road, and asked for his help. The defendant armed himself with a sharpened bayonet and returned to the party with the Samoans, Detective Sergeant; Scott said. He challenged the man who had allegedly punched one of the Samoans, and produced the bayonet from under his clothing. When the complainant saw the bayonet he refused to go outside and fight Vili, Detective Sergeant Scott said. Several persons at the party then came to the aid of the complainant, and Vili and Ms companions ran off. The defendant gave the bayonet to one of the Samoans as he ran, and took no part in tlie resulting fracas in which five men suffered stab wounds, said Detective Sergeant Scott. When interviewed by the police Vili admitted brandishing tlie bayonet at the party. He said he had used the bayonet earlier in the day to cut meat.

OVERSTAYED PERMIT A Samoan man who pleaded guilty to a charge of remaining in New Zealand beyond the I period for which his temporary ,[permit was granted, was' con • ivicted and released on bail lipending deportation. Eor the Immigration Depart , merit. Mr G. K. Panekhurst said ’ the defendnt, Fitu Malo, had - entered Now Zealand on June Z 10. He had a three-month r visitor’s permit, and was required to leave on September - 10. r In August Malo sought an extension to the permit. ’ This was not made, and the fact, that ■ Malo; was obliged to leave New ■ Zealand was explained/ ) v f Counsel submitted that.-, Malq . had come ini on a work’ pertnit ‘.and not a visitor's permit. He llhad approached a member oi > i PaHiament > and thought the matter was still in his hands, when he found he had over>l stayed the permit. I STOLE PETROL Jeffrey Alistair Carmichael, I I aged 17. a car cleaner, and (Roger Steeg, aged 18, were both i convicted and remanded on bail . to December 17 after pleading ;: guilty to charges of stealing three gallons of petrol, .valued -iat $3. l . Detective Sergeant Scott said I that at 1.25 a m. on December 9, i the defendants were seen in [Sinclair Street, New Brighton, siphoning petrol from a car into a large container. Both defendants had admitted [the offence and said the.car they .[were in had almost run out of petrol.. REMAND IN CUSTODY i Kristopher David Gibson, aged 120, unemployed (Mr A. J. Forbes), I was convicted and remanded in (custody to December 17, after ' pleading guilty to charges of burglary and attempted burglary iof chemists’ shops in November. 'The defendant is to be medically [ examined. Detective Sergeant Scott said [that on the evening of November ;24 the premises of Stone’s Pharmacy, Main North Road, ; were broken and entered. Entry was gained by removing (iron and timber from the roof ■ and making a hole in the plaster i ceiling. ' Barbiturates, a drill, cameras and $7O in cash, to a total value

■of J 239, were taken. , Damage oi I $lOO was done- to the roof. (( On November 26 an attempl ■was made to burgle the | Woolston Pharmacy. Ferre ■Road. Fetlr sheets of iron or I the roof were cut through Damage of $6O was done. When interviewed the defen Idant admitted the offences I Compensation of $99.50 is sought > I from Gibson. i Gibson said he thought it woulc i be good to break into a pharm acy. He had told his co-offendei and they decided to do so to get i ‘drugs. . H BURGLARY . Two men who removed It . power machines, valued at $lO9O .bfrom the premises of Brownlee ‘ Cycle and'Mower Company, Ltd lion November 25 were convicted [land remanded in custody to De | cember 17. t Dennis Ray Taaffe and Keith ! Robert Williams, both aged' 22 pleaded guilty to charges oi burgling the shop in High ■Street. [I Detective Sergeant Scott said '[that at‘3.3o a.m. the two defend([ants were at the shop and aftei ! a number of attempts they man :;aged to force a casement win- [ dow. They selected 10 power machj ines and carried them to a veI I hide which was driven and ‘owned by Taaffe. A neighbour informed the police and the two were detained. They denied responsibility for the burglary. The men are to be medically examined. BROKE WINDOW John Arthur Hawley, aged 28, a carpenter, pleaded guilty to a charge of wilfully damaging a window, valued at $5. the property of Patricia Uenore Philpott, on December 12. He was convicted and fined $l5 and ordered to pay compensation of $5. ASSAULTED SISTER A young man who threatened the police with a garden hoe after assaulting his sister was I fined a total olt $3O on three [charges. “I wouldn’t like you to think that you can go out and do this again,” the Magistrate told (Stewart John Reardon, aged 20, la timber worker.

I Reardon (Mr G. K. Panekhurst), pleaded guilty to charges assaulting Cheryl Ropiha. assaultiue Constable Neil Ernest Clark, and using obscene language in . place. Detective Sergeant Scott said !ah uuee charges arose from a domestic incident on December •8. Reardon had kicked and punched his sister after arriving drunk at her home. The police were called, and found the defendant standing on the front lawn yelling obscenities “at the top of his voice,” Detective Sergeant Scott said. A crowd of neighbours watched as Reardon slashed at a policeman with a hoe, and then barricaded himself inside the house. He was overpowered and arrested soon after, when the police broke into the house. FINED $4O Leslie Wayne Smith, aged 23.1 a steel worker was convicted and fined $4O, after he pleaded guilty to a charge of attempting to steal a car battery, valued at $4l on December 8. Detective Sergeant Scott said that at 11.35 p.m. a police patrol saw the defendant in front of a car at the intersection of Russley and Wairakei Roads. The defendant was then seen to walk towards another car. When spoken to Smith admitted attempting to take the battery. He had done so “on the spur of the moment.’’ and had no real need for/-the battery. SHOPLIFTING On a charge of stealing ice cream and other goods, to a total value of $3.85, from Woolworths (N.Z.). Ltd, New Brighton, on September 27, Frank Peter Steentjes, aged 20, was convicted and fined $6O, He pleaded not guilty. (Before Mr F. G. Paterson S.M.) FAILED TO REPORT Bernard Michael Minogue, aged 21, a foundry worker, who had pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to report for periodic detention, was convicted and ordered to appear for sentence if called on within six months?