MAGISTRATE'S COURT Borstal for seaman who lit fires

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34045, 8 January 1976, Page 11

MAGISTRATE'S COURT Borstal for seaman who lit fires

A seaman who lit six fires aboard the M.V. Westbury while it was berthed at Lyttelton, was sentenced to Borstal training by Mr N. 1.. Bradford. S.M.. in the Magistrate's Court yesterday. ; Gordon Brian Hunter, aged 17, an English seaman, had I earlier pleaded guilty to a 'charge of wilfully setting fire to the ship on December 130, causing damage of 5782. Counsel (Mr A. J. Forbes) I said that it was a serious ioffence, if for no other reason than the maximum penalty prescribed bv the i law. I The defendant, along with jhis workmates, had gone to I the British Hotel at Lyttelton lat 7.30 p.m. and he had not left until about 10.30 p.m. He had been drinking double white rums all evening. Counsel submitted that for a boy of 17 this would have been a considerable amount of alcohol. He had then gone on board {ship and lit the fires by flick- , ing matches about the ship. : “While some people doodle {with pens, the defendant simply flicks matches about.” counsel said. The defendant had not known there had been any fires until he was contacted by the police. Hunter had then volunteered all the information to the police. “This was a silly, reckless act on the defendant’s part,” counsel submitted. The Magistrate said that the mind staggered to think what would have happened if the ship had been a tanker. He rejected counsel’s submissions for fines and said that this was a case where a deterrent sentence was called for. YOUTH IMPRISONED

A youth who burgled a! Rangiora shop and took a car and a truck, was sen-■ tenced to 12 months imprisonment. He is Neil William Newton,! aged 19. unemployed (Mr N. R. Davidson), who had earlier pleaded guilty to charges of unlawfully taking a car, unlawfully taking a truck, and !of burgling a shop.

The Magistrate said that the defendant had a considerable list of previous convictions, and that he would have to have regard to the community’s interest by imposing a gaol sentence. PUSHED CONSTABLE

Douglas David Smith, aged 29. an insurance agent, who ; threatened and pushed a con- | stable, pleaded guilty to ai charge of assault and was ; Iput on a year’s probation) (with the condition he do 100 {hours community work. ' Sergeant T. Moore said that a constable in Cathedral! ’ Square stopped a car and ■ spoke to the driver about i 2.50a.m. on December 6. The; ■ defendant, who was a pas-1 , senger, got out and confronted: {the constable, saying: “I’ll {push your face in, you little) | bastard.”

Smith then pushed the) constable on the tunic forcing him back. It took three; policeman to restrain and) arrest the defendant. The defendant told the Magistrate that he had) known the constable. He had’ since apologised to him. DOMESTIC ASSAULT A man who gave his wife: two black eyes on Christmas Day, pleaded guilty to a charge of assault. He hit her) during an argument while: they were driving to a Christmas dinner. Samuel Michael Price,) {aged 35, a storeman, was) convicted on the charge and; put on probation for 12' months; and ordered to do 100 hours of community) work. DRUNKENNESS Richard John Hethering-! ton. aged 51, a social welfare beneficiary, was sentenced to a total of five months imprisonment on two charges of being found drunk in a public place. He had pleaded guilty. On a charge of using obscene language in the watchhouse foyer of the Central Police Station, he was convicted and discharged. He; had pleaded not guilty. I

The Magistrate said that: on January 2 the defendant had been found drunk in Cathedral Square and Colombo Street. During Octo-! :ber to December he had been convicted six times for i drunkenness. Two doctor.- reports) showed that Hetherington did not see any reason to) stop drinking as alcohol was what he lived lor. He was a '“public nuisance living on the State.” said the Magistrate. On the first drunkenness charge he received two ■ months imprisonment and! ion the second, three months imprisonment, the terms to be cumulative When told that while he, {was in prison he was to re-) ) ceive treatment for alcoholism, the defendant said, "I | will not take it.” WILFUL DAMAGE A man who smashed two panes of glass in a tele-’ {phone box in 1973 was con-; {victed on a charge of wilful: damage and ordered to pay' compensation of 52.50. He is Clarence Arthur Bennett, aged 23. a factory! hand, who pleaded guilty. Sergeant Prouting ’ said that the defendant and a girl smashed panes of glass in a telephone box at the corner of Victoria Street and Dur ham Street, about 10.20 p.m. on August 30. 1973. The defendant suffered a severe cut trying to assist the girl out. Counsel (Mr D. M. Palmer) said that Bennett was making a voluntary! appearance. He had been out of trouble since the offence. ASSAULTED GIRLFRIEND i , Barry David McKenzie.' I aged 19, an apprentice) printer (Mr D. J. L. Saun-’ 1 ders), was put on probation ! for a year on a charge of { assaulting his girlfriend on I December 30. On a charge of using ob- : scene language on a telephone, he was fined $3O. He had previously pleaded guilty to both charges. Counsel said that McKenzie had been drinking when he rang the de facto father of his girlfriend and used the! obscene language. He had

thought the father had been unnecessarily interfering m their lives. (Before Mr H. J Evans. .'- .M l WARRANT FOR ARREST a youth who athnitted having taken a chair leg. with a nail protruding from it. to the Des il’.- Henchmen headquarter- at 79 Ollivier'Road. failed to appear for sentence. He is Larry Raymond Te Koet i aged 2: a i* eld< ■ s ’labourer, who had been convicted and remanded on bail for sentence on a charge of ■ unlawful assembly A warrant for his ai rest was issued hy the Magistrate at the request of the police. FIVE I HEFTS I Murray William Urquhart, aged 29. unemployed, vas fined SlOO and put on probation for 12 months on five {charges of theft. He had pleaded guilty to all charges. ■ The thefts involved two .quantities of petrol, milk, a pair of trousers, and S2O. { THEFT OF RUGS Bevan David Smith, aged 19. unemployed, was convicted and fined $lOO and put on probation for 12 months ion two charges of stealing sheepskins. He had pleaded guilty.