MAGISTRATE'S COURT Off-duty policemen assaulted during scuffle at picnic

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34103, 16 March 1976, Page 15

MAGISTRATE'S COURT Off-duty policemen assaulted during scuffle at picnic

A youth who assaulted!two oil-duty policemen , fc in a scuffle at the Police ' Tramping Club picnic, at ( Coes Ford on Sunday. E appeared before Mr E. S. c J. (Tutchley, S.M.. in the Magistrate’s Court . yesterday. ’ David lan A'tken a°ed 18.!, a storeman (Mr M. S. Gib- * son), p.eadeo guilty tc a ( charge of assaulting Detec- ■ live R. I. Hawkins, a charge:; assaulting Constable E. ,s XV. Robinson, and a charge , 01 using ooscene language. ■> The defendant was con-! 1 victed and remanded on bail.:! to March 22. for sentence. 1 He was ordered to be medi- j tally examined for periodic:; detention. Sergeant .1. R. Palmer said j that on March 14 the Police!; Tramping Club held a picnic> at Coes Ford. Some youths j left the picnic area and J drove ca-s at high speed and ! in a dangerous mannei close to a playground, where a numbei of children were , playing. The two policemen spoke to the youths regarding their j manner of driving and were, subjected ’o abuse and foul! language from the defendant. ! Aitken punched Detective Hawkins in the chest and struck him a number of blows, sa.d Sergeant Palmer. Constable Robinson attempted to pacify the. defendant but he was struck on the side of the face. Several of the youths present were holding bottles of beer and some were in an! intoxicated condition. Later, when the policemen went to i eturn to their families. the oefendant opened the car door and punched Detective Hawkins in the’ face. The complainant was dragged from the car andi another scuffle occurred.! said Sergeant Palmer. The complainants head was forced down and he waspunched again. When Constable Robinson[ went to assist the detective.! he was struck in the heat'. Detective Hawkins suffered 'acerations requiring stitching to his hand, and. his neck was strained. Con-’

stable Robinson suffered 1 bruising to the left side of [ his face. . Sergeant Palmer said the defendant had a "belligerent ! attitude." at the time of theoffences. ASSAULT IN SQUARE | A man who ran off alter an assault tiecause he thought lie might have anted the complain-i am. pleaded guiltv to a charge! ol assaulting Alan James Hutlj I in Cathedral Square on March 6 j Cyril Thomas Richard( Bracken, aged 25. a concrete i worker was convicted and remanded to March 22 lor; sentence. Sergeant Palmer said the com plainant and the defendant were I at a taxi stand when an argu-! ment arose as to who should I oecupi a taxi. Bracken hit the I complainant in the face causing, him to strike the curb. The com.! plainant suffered a serious J injur, to the back ol his head and a bleeding nose. Sergeant Palmer said the com-. plainant was intoxicated when he was assaulted, and w as un . able to defend himself. Bracken told the police tiial the complainant had started the i argument. He had run off when he saw the blood because lie thought he might have killedl him. UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY Three youths appeared on a charge of being a member ol i an unlawful assemble in Breezes Road. Wainoni. last Wednesday Two of the youths entered no plea and were remanded on bail for a week for legal advice. The third vouth was remanded on bail to April 15 for a defended i hearing. Last week two other persons: appeared on a similar charge i and were remanded without! plea for legal advice. TWO BURGLARIES Thirteen rifles worth more than 52600. and electrical goods valued at more than $2200, were taken in two burglaries on March 5, said Sergeant Palmer. Reginald Walter Ruru Hutana. aged IS, pleaded guilty to two charges of burglary and charges of unlawfully possessing valium and unlawfully taking a car. He was convicted and remanded in custody for sentence to April G I when he will defend other ! charges. Sergeant Palmer said that when Hutana was questioned by 'the police on March 5 he had admitted taking a car and burgling Norman Gibson. Ltd at Rangiora. and Ashley Keith Television. Ltd. in Bishopdale Courts. Compensation of more than S3lOO was sought for property so far not recovered. Sergeant Palmer said that v hen the police searched the defendant's address thev also ’found valium. The defendant had admitted mixing it in water before taking it. He had been taking valium for two months. THEFT OF BONNET On charges of taking a car land stealing its bonnet. Nicholas John Callahan, aged IH. a

eserves worker. was put on I probation for a year, with a con-1 ai lition to undertake psychiatric j al ounselling as directed. Callahan had earlier pleaded si fuilty to the charges. His n [river's licence was cancelled B or six months on the charge of ti inlavuullv taking the ear the t< jroperty of Shirlex Joan Pole- r< nan. on February 12. Detective Sergeant D. N. Scott f< lad said that on February 19, ti he bonnet was found fitted to si he defendant's car. The defend- d int had admitted the offence.. >aying that his own car had j seen in an accident and he had i J jeen unable to replace the) a jonnet. ; ° Counsel (Mr G. P. F.| w rhompsom said the defendant i.] lad become unsettled after leav- „ ng home. He was now back I a .inder parental control and his! w parents had taken over his’ inancial affairs as he was! .leavily in debt. Psychiatric treatment had also; r been arranged for Callahan by t< his parents, said counsel. 1IPROBATION ! q Rang! Aroha Slade, aged 25, | who had pleaded guilty to a charges of unlawfully possessing I fj cannabis and converting a car, v was put on probation for a year and disqualified from driving s for six months. i Counsel (Mr D. I. Jonesi said that the defendant had came r ; from Dunedin to answer the J charge. She had previous con- F victions but had been making a ’ genuine effort to adjust in the 1 community. i CANNABIS K A 19-year-old vouth appearing! for sentence on a charge of s possessing 1.9 g of cannabis, was put on probation for a year and fined $lOO. / John James Dundon a kitchen ’ hand, had pleaded guiltv to the! charge. Dundon had aiso pleaded guilty to a further charge of fighting in a public place. He . was convicted and fined $lO. Counsel (Mr M. P. Boyce) said the defendant was approached In the Square by a person he I* did not know. Dundon was J ‘‘rather naive.” and paid $5 for five reefer cigarettes containing 1.9 g of cannabis. The defendant had the cannabis for some time and he made no attempt to smoke ft. said Mr Boyce. It was the first time he had encountered cannabis and the quantity was small TERM EXTENDED Stephen Royce Brewer, aged r 21, a labourer, had his Borstal c training term extended by three i J months after he pleaded guilty { to a charge of absconding fromj) the' custody of the superin- j 1 tendent of the pre-release; centre. Wellington, on February it 29. I Sergeant Palmer said that oriii February 29 the defendant left}> the centre and travelled to i Christchurch. He went to his L parents’ home and told them he ] had been released from the 1 centre after serving his time. p He worked in a woolstore forp three days and was arrested on March 14 said Sergeant Palmer, i

When spoken to the defend-. ant had said he knew he had! < absconded from the centre. ■ Counsel (Mr A. W. Robinson); »aid the defendant had been > moved to the centre from i Borstal. He had been due to seel the Parole Board with a view' to a date being set for his : release. The Magistrate told the defendant that it was a privilege to be at a pre-release centre in- s stead of being behind locked doors. RECEIVED TOOLS Kevin Edward Parkinson, aged 21. a tyre fitter, was fined $75 and put oh probation for a year,; on a charge of receiving tools worth $4O. lie had pleaded guilty. Counsel (Miss J. Mansoni said that it was the defendant’s first criminal offence. He had ceased associating with the person from whom he had received the tools. DANGEROUS SPEED An “experienced motor-cycle rider.” who drove at speeds up to 109 miles an hour on State Highway One. pleaded guilty to a charge of driving at a dangerous speed. Winston James Irvine, aged 22. a mechanic, was convicted and fined $lOO. His driver s licence was cancelled for six months. A Ministry of Transport officer said the defendant was returning to Christchurch from Ashburton. on December 8. He was driving at speeds up to 109 miles i an hour. There was no traffic on> the road but the defendant; I ravelled across many intersec- 1 tions. The defendant had said at the 1 time that he was “just tired and wanted to get home.” Counsel (Mr A. W. Robinson); said the defendant was going to!

, Australia in two weeks. He was an "experienced motor-cycle i rider,” and he had raced competitively. The Magistrate said he fined , Irvine "in view ot tl>e tact he i was experienced in driving, and | was leaving the country .” (Before Mr B. A. Palmer, S.M.i KICKED POLICEMAN “Your boots were made for ■ walking — not for kicking policemen with,’ the Magistrate told' Rob.n Leslie Charlton before, convicting him on a charge of assaulting Constable R E. Peter. The defendant, aged 20, a | ‘ driver, pleaded guilty to the charge and was fined S6O. Sergeant B. G. Saunders said. that about 10.50 p.m. on February 18, the defendant was seen walking along High Street. Ixvo police constables saw him kick I over a signboard outside a shop. The defendant was asked to pick it up but he refused and threat- | ened the policemen with vio-II lente. He was warned to behave I himself. The defendant became I very abusive. He smelt of beer I and his e.ves with inflamed- I The defendant, who was wear- I ing heavy working boots, then I kicked the constable. The police I tried to put him in the patrol I car and a great deal of force I was needed to subdue him and I get him in the car. Counsel lor the defendant iMr;l ; D. CavgilD. said that in the re-fl i straint measures used by the I police his client had received I severe injuries and had to take I i 10 days off' work. ■ I Charlton had said that a police- I man had punched him in the j face. Charlton had then lost his I temper which was why he kicked H the policeman. r