$l0,000 worth of goods stolen

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34127, 13 April 1976, Page 12

$l0,000 worth of goods stolen

Goods with a wholesale .value of $7676 and a retail value of $10,233 were stolen from the National Electric and Engineering Company, Ltd, Cashel Street, over several months, Mr P. L. Molineaux, S.M., was told in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Before the Court was Alfred Richard Mayne, aged 30, a self-employed builder who pleaded guilty to five charges of theft and three of receiving. He was convicted and remanded in custody to April 21 for sentence. Sergeant J. C. Rowe said that on August 10, the defendant was approached by two persons who were employed by Neeco, Ltd. As a result of the conversation the defendant agreed to remove property from the firm with the assistance of an employee. During August to February, electric ranges, stereos, deep freezers, electric fans, motors, speakers, toasters, clocks, electric jugs, blank cassettes, torches, electric blankets, electric mixers, electric plugs, lights and light bulbs were taken from the warehouse, said Sergeant Rowe.

On December 10, three suede leather jackets to a total value of $448.50 were shop-lifted from Ballantyne’s Ltd, Cashel Street. These were sold to the defendant, and he later had a jacket sold for him and destroyed the rest.

On January 7, Sergeant Rowe said that a cassette plaver, valued at $285 was shop-lifted from Calder Mackay Ltd, Worcester Street This was sold to the defendant, who knew it was, stolen. On February 14, when spoken to, Mayne admitted being involved in the thefts and receiving of goods from Neeco, Ltd.

Sergeant Rowe said an employee from Neeco Ltd had also been charged. This man had said the defendant had approached him initially. The employee was paid $l5OO for helping Mayne. At wholesale value, the total value of property stolen from Neeco, Ltd, was $7676.75, said Sergeant Rowe. At retail value this would be $10,233.10. Property valued at $1632 had been recovered, most in used condition, and compensation of $2340 was sought for outstanding property. The person from whom the defendant had received the leather jackets and stereo player was not employed by Neeco, Ltd.

knife held at ribs An insurance aalasman became "wild” when be found a married man at a female friend’s address, said Sergeant Rowe. He held a 9in carving, knife at the woman’s ribs and later .truck her several times with his fist. The insurance salesman pleaded guilty to two charges of assault and was remanded on ball to April 21 for a probation report. His name was suppressed in the meantime. Sergeant Rowe said that .the defendant called at the woman’, address at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 3. When he found another man talking to her he told the other man to leave and held the carving knife at her ribs. He later struck her and also her 11-yesr-old son who tried to Intervene. When the police arrived they found the doors of the house locked. They were told they were not needed. However, when the police did not leeve, the defendant threatened to throw bailing water over them. Sergeant Rowe said that the defendant later told the police he had become wild when he saw the other man. FIREARMS CHARGES Two youtlis each charged with unlawfully possessing a shotgun and presenting the shotgun at a person, were remanded on bail. One of them was remanded for a defended hearing and the other, for legal advice. The pair were arrested after an Incident in Cathedral Square on Sunday. “REHABILITATION FAILED” An attempt to rehabilitate a youth by sending him to the Mount Grey Rehabilitation Centre had failed, the Magistrate said. The youth, Gregory Paul Sykes, aged 17. had left the centre after two weeks, commenting that It was too much like a borstal. He had then committed more offences. The Magistrate sentenced Svkes to borstal training on 11 charges. Sykes had been remanded to the rehabilitation centre in February on three charges of disqualified driving, two of converting cars and one of wilful damage. He had pleaded guilty. Yesterday be pleaded guilty to charges of unlawfully getting into a car; stealing 380 from thi till of a hamburger bar; receiving I e pocket calculator and a ; camera, worth a total of <88; i obtaining 895 worth of liquor and eash by false pretence and burg!ary. | The last five offences were i committed between January 4

assault . Samuel Haira, aged 18, unemployed, was convicted and fined 850 on a charge of assaulting James William Ching. He pleaded guilty. Sergeant Rowe said that the defendant and friends were outside the Tavern Rachael when a friend started to fight with tbe complainant. The defendant had then struck the complainant several times. Counsel (Mr A. K. Grant) said that the complainant was carryin< a crate of beer. One of the group had taken a bottle and the complainant accused the group. He had then struck the defendant and a fight ensued. Counsel said that the defendant admitted hitting the man five times. The complainant suffered injuries to his chin and eyes and received a cut on his head. FINED $2OO James Hyad Williams, aged 36, a dairy proprietor, was convicted and fined $2OO on a charge of receiving a stereo valued at $llOO. He had pleaded guilty. Sergeant Rowe had said that Williams was offered the equipment when two men came to his shop to buy an ice-cream. Counsel (Mr B. S. McLaughlin) said that the defendant had received nothing but grief from the incident. He had spent 12 hours in custody. The defendant had done well in business and sport, said Mr McLaughlin. WIELDED KNIFH A man who had wielded a knife at his de facto wife during an argument was convicted and ordered to do 70 hours of community work on a charge of assault. Paul Edwards, aged 38, a foreman, had pleaded guilty. Sergeant Rowe had said that the complainant suffered a cut to her ear from the assault. Counsel (Mr L. Dann) said that the defendant denied cutting his - wife’s ear with the knife. The cut resulted from a blow which struck her earring. Both parties had been drinking heavily. The defendant was , prepared to undergo treatment ' for alcoholism, said counsel.

ATTEMPTED THEFT A man who hired a car, valued at $l3OO, from a firm at Ashburton, later tried to trade the car for another vehicle, said Ser-* geant Rowe. Alister Grant Halkett, aged 21, a driver, pleaded guilty to a charge of attempted theft and was convicted and remanded on ball to April 21 for sentence. Sergeant Rowe said that a Chrisfchuch motor-vehicle dealer telephoned the police when Halkett tried to trade the rental car on Saturday. FOUR BURGLARIES Murray Kevin Campbell, aged 18, unemployed, who had pleaded guilty to four charges of burglary, was sentenced to borstal training.

Later in the day another Magistrate (Mr H. J. Evans, S.M.) gave the defendant a suspended sentence on a charge of assault. Concerning the burglaries. Mr P. L. Molineaux, S.M., said that Campbell had been given several chances to reform. He had been given periodic detention and had also been put on probation and fined. However, instead of reforming, he had continued to drift and re-offend, the Magistrate said. RECEIVED CIGARETTES Geoffrey Alexander Boyd, aged 20, a furnace hand, was convicted and fined $4O after he pleaded guilty to a charge of receiving a packet of cigarettes, valued at 43c, the property of Lawrence Edward Francis Streeter, on April 11. _ „ TOOK TROUSERS Colleen Marie Buchanan, aged 19, was convicted and put on probation for a year on a charge of stealing a pair of trousers valued at $20.95, the property of Jean Theme. Ltd. She pleaded guilty. DETENTION CENTRE Terry Arnold, aged 19, unemployed, was sentenced to detention centre training on charges of failing to report for periodic detention at Auckland and failing to notify his probation officer of a change of address. He had prevously pleaded guilty. URINATED IN LANE A man and a youth who urinated In Press Lane on Saturday night were each convicted on a charge of offensive behaviour and put on probation for a vear with the condltibn they do 50 hours of community work. They are Murray Graham Dick, aged 22, a driver, and Anthony John Pritchard, aged 18, a cook, who both pleaded gulltv. Another youth, Koro Walker, aged 19, an apprentice bricklayer. who urinated near the Carlton Cinema in Cathedral Square on Saturday morning, was also convicted on a charge of offensive behaviour and given the same penalty as the other two defendants. He pleaded guilty. STOLE MIRROR A youth who found a wing mirror in a Blenheim Road car yard was convicted and fined $25 on a charge of theft. The defendant, Ross Armstrong, aged 19, an electrician, (Headed guilty. ‘ Sergeant Rowe said that about 1.20 a.m; the car in which the defendant was travelling ran out

of petrol. The defendant went looking in the car yard, finding the mirror near a car. The Magistrate said that the theft was a wayward act on behalf of the defendant. (Before Mr H. J. Evans, S.M.) PINES BEACH INCIDENT Three youths who had earlier been convicted on charges arising out of an incident at Pines Beach on May 6, to which they had pleaded not guilty, appeared for sentence. Peter John Cherry, who appeared on a charge of depositing dangerous Utter, was fined $3O. Christopher Taylor, aged 22, who appeared on a charge of assaulting Constable M. A. Kyne was sentenced to three months periodic detention, was put on probation for 12 months and ordered to Uve and work as directed. Keith Robert Williams, aged 23, who appeared on a charge of obstructing Constable W. H. Warren was ordered to do 50 hours of community work, put on probation for 12 months, ordered to Uve and work as directed and to take treatment or counseUing, or both, for alcohoUstn. Evidence was given earUer that about 40 youths had been milling around a hall. Many of them had been intoxicated. While several were arrested, Taylor became abusive, raised a bottfe in a threatening manner, threatened police, pushed Constable Kyne, hit him on the wrist with a beer bottle and punched him. Cherry w’as seen to drop a bottle on the far side of the road. Williams had moved forward and raised a beer bottle, and had also intervened when another youth was being arrested. Counsel for the defendants (Mr M. J. French) said Cherry denied dropping the bottle. Taylor was quite adamant he was not holding a bottle when the constable was assaulted. It was a highly charged emotional situation, said counsel. A friend of Taylor’s had been arrested and he wanted to see what was happening. He had been almost knocked out. Taylor had a problem with alcohol and had been drinking at the time of the offence. Counsel said WUliams had been asking why his brother was arrested.

THREE ON ASSAULT Three youths who had been convicted after pleading not guilty to charges of assaulting

5?£S5 el ? mu J’ utsl<ie “ Hampshire street hamburger bar on Novsniber 8. appeared for sentence. Matekitawhiti Ryland. was on probation for 12 months, ordered to do 40 hours community work and ordered to Uve and work as directed.

Murray Kevin Campbell, aged 18, unemployed was convicted and ordered to come un for sentence within two years if called upon. Steven Kirk CampbeU, aged • carpenter was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence within 12 months if caUed upon. Counsel for all defendants (Mr s |lbmlt ted that the a ? l t, h . a 2 been provoked if not initiated by the complainant ana a companion. The defendants intervened to protect a member of their family who was being attacked. BURGLARY Alan Ray Earle, aged 22. a worker (Mr J. G. JS. t^ ws) ’ff pl t ade< ? ® uUt y to two charges of burglary. He was convicted and remanded on bail to April 21 for a probation report and sentence. Sergeant J. R. Palmer said that on March 1/ Earle had broken into a builder’s shed and stolen a sledge-hammer and a crow-bar. He had then kept watch while another person broke into St Stephen's Church in Shirley, using the stolen tools. the course of his watch, the police arrived, and Earle was caught after a chase through neighbouring properties. COLOUR TV Reginald Walter Ruru Hut®J ia »_ a Bed 18, a freezing worker Sissons), who pleaded not guilty to a charge of burglary WkS convicted, ana remanded to April 14 for sentence. • The Court was told that Huta»a had broken into a house while the owners were away, and stolen a colour television set, and a stereo record player, worth $lOl7. The stereo set was found at Hutana’s home but the television set has not been recovered. (Before Mr B. A. Palmer, S.M.) TOOK CAR Sony James Tau, a galley hand, was convicted and sentenced to four months* periodic detention on a charge of unlawfully taking a motorvehicle. had pleaded guilty.