Player fined $25 for threatening referee

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34046, 9 January 1976, Page 5

Player fined $25 for threatening referee

\ Rugby league playeri who used threatening language to a referee) after a match last year.: was fined 525 by’ Mr N.i L. Bradford. S.M.. in the! Christchurch Magis-i trate's Court yesterday’. It is believed that this is; the first time that a charge) of threatening language has; been brought against a sportsman by a referee The player, Stefan Norman Hatipov. aged 22.; ; unemployed (Mr G. R. Lascelle-). pleaded not guilty to, the charge of using threat-; ning language in a public! place, the .Addington Show; Grounds. The incident arose after) ithe defendant had been; 'ordered from the field for punching an opponent! behind the neck during ai match between Marist West-! 'em Suburbs and Sydenham, j In evidence. the com-; plainant. Trevor Clarence' Houston, said that early' in the game he had put the defendant in the 'chili bin” for 10 minutes: “We send; the players off the field for 10 minutes or so to let them cool down.” witness said. However. when the defendant came on after his I

I spell off the field he punched another player and, ! was sent off for the rest of 'the game. Witness said that after the (game had finished he was; i watching another game; • when the defendant came I over to him and tapped him on the shoulder. “He asked me what (charges were to be brought; ! against him by the controlling board of league. I told him that I did not have to tell him and that he, would find out on Monday; i evening. “He threatened me. and i told me he would blow my ! house up and said that if he ■did not get me ndw, he, • would get me in a hotel! ; somewhere. He swore and’ ithreatened to push my face! jin." witness said. Counsel then put it to i witness that if he had not (answered in such a lofty, I manner, the defendant might (not have got upset. Counsel: Did the defendant jask you in a polite manner? Witness: Yes. Counsel: Did you answer • him in an arrogant manner and why didn't you tell him • what the charges were. Witness: No. I wasn’t arrogant and I do not have to tell him the nature of the I charges.

■ Witness said that he be.lieved that the defendant! • was going to blow up his house. A witness to the incident. • Lorry Blackier, said that! I while watching the game, he! '(heard the defendant ap-i I proach Mr Houston: “I could. hear him abusing Mr Hous-! (ton. He said something' ■about a bomb. I was only an •arms length away.” Clifford J. Lather, a! schoolteacher, said in evitdence that he heard the. ! defendant talking to Mr, .Houston, and admitted to; •counsel that the defendant: had been courteous. “His ! tone of voice was in no way |truculent," witness said. ; Counsel submitted that Mr; ; Houston had. on this occa- • sion, been unusually sensitive to the threats. He said that Mr Houston. • being a freezing worker by; ! occupation, would have been • used to the sort of language complained of. In evidence, the defendant' said that he did not swear, at Mr Houston, although he! admitted making the threats. Counsel: Did you intend to! carry the threats out. Were! •you going to bomb Mr Houston’s house? Defendant: No — Ihaven’t even got any bombs., , I would not do a thing like' that in a month of Sundays. : The Magistrate said that some 70 minutes had elapsed; • between Hatipov being sent; off the field and his speakring to the complainant. •“You had plenty of time to! I cool down." he said. | “I do not regard this as • (trivial as suggested by coun-; ; sei. In general, New Zealand; has a very high level of: ; sporting standards particu-1 larly among those who con-, • trol the games, and threat-! neing umpires is not tri-! vial.” he said. Counsel said that ■•he; • defendant, had suffered; • enough already, having been; j disqualified from plaving! until 1977__