Robbery brings gaol

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34123, 8 April 1976, Page 10

Robbery brings gaol

A 17-year-old youth who took part in the aggravated robbery of money and narcotics from a Rangiora doctor at Christmas was gaoled for three years and a half by Mr justice Casey in the Supreme Court ; yesterday. The youth, Nicholas John Shirley, unemployed, pleaded iguilty in the Magistrate’s I Court to a charge that being 'with others he robbed Arthur Percival Cotter of $52 and narcotics and prescription 'poisons on December 27. The Magistrate declined jurisdiction .and committed Shirley to the Supreme Court for sentence. Mr A. W. Robinson, for the prisoner, said that it was conceded that Shirley played a major role in the offenc.e which had been planned as a ijoint enterprise with others.

[j Because of a lack of facili-i , ’ties and entertainment for 1 . i youths at Kaiapoi and the surrounding districts other » than “beer barns,” local < •i youths became bored and; | jdrifted into trouble. They experimented with drugs and L that led them into offending.; Shirley had become un-j , settled after he was involved) ■in an accident in 1974 in! 'vvhich a vehicle was driven i into a stream and one of his j 1 companions was killed. Hisj >iinterest in playing sport was; ; I terminated after he broke his) ; leg in three places, Mr Robinl ! son said. 1 His Honour said that Shir-! ! ley had played a major part! I in this frightening incident. * He would have been more to Mr Robinson’s ( submission if it had not been! Jifor the fact that Shirley had / •’a disturbing record of delinquency since 1973. ; According to the polices i i statement of facts Dr Cotter |1 and his wife were entertain- :

: ing guests when there was a knock on their door about 10.35 p.m. on December 27. When Dr Cotter went to the door he was confronted by ’two men with masks over their faces and armed with a shotgun and a knife. Dr Cotter was compelled to • go to his surgery and to hand over $52 from a cash box and; inarcotias and prescription! poisons. : 15 MONTHS GAOL ) Sonny James Tau. aged 25_, ; |a musician, was gaoled for 15; months on charges of burg-; lary of the Kirwee Service [Station on January 6 and unlawfully getting into the car | of John McGlisky Hales. Mr A. K. Grant, for the prisoner, said that all the property had been recovered from the burglary and submitted that a sentence of periodic detention would be appropriate. His Honour said that Tau had committed numerous similar offences since 1971.