MAIGISTRATE'S COURT Man gaoled for ‘thrashing’ woman

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34129, 15 April 1976, Page 11

MAIGISTRATE'S COURT Man gaoled for ‘thrashing’ woman

A man who "thrashed”; a woman in her home and in front of her children was sentenced in the Magistrate’s Court yester-j da} to 18 months imprisonment. Mr P. L. Molineaux, S.M. to® Kerry Haa, aged 25, a painter, that it was difficult to ' imagine a more serious i assault. However, because of Haa's| particular perse ality and because it was possible he' had been affected by drugs' at the time of the assault, six mo..ths would be deducted from the maximum sentence of two years gaol, the Magistrate said. Haa had previously pleaded guilty tn a charge of assaulting Dallas Audrey Allpress. According to the police summary of facts the inrMpnt had with an

According to the police summary of facts the incident had started with an argument between the couple while they were in a car in the afternoon. She had attempted to escape from the car and subsequently suffered scratches to the hands and feet. That night he began beating her with his fists, and later lashing her with a hose. At one stage he also stubbed out a cigarette on her breast.

When the police arrived at 2.15 a.m. they found the defendant leaning over the complainant about to strike her again. She had been cowering and shivering in I her bed. Counsel (Mr K. J. Osborn) said Haa might have been affected by drugs: “This could explain why the offence went on for so long and with apparent lack of provocation by the woman.” The defendant’s jealousy had been irrational and he had difficulty in explaining why he “got mad,” said counsel. In the past, the woman had accused him of certain things that were not true. On the day of the assault they had been to a private function and when a certain person left he thought it had had been becuase of her actions. "He became pretty mad and began to react gainst her,” said Mr Osborn. • Although Haa had been <jiit of serious trouble since the age of 18 he had become

I unsettled and suffered from depression. The Magistrate said that ihe had a psychiatric report ! before him on Haa. There 'appeared to be a possibility I he could have been under the influence of drugs and that the nature of his per- . sonality was such as to proi duce an element of diminished responsibility. ; ! Nevertheless, the Magistrate said, the assault had i been long and severe, with [ the woman being thrashed : with a hose in her own 5 home and in front of her , children. ASSAULTED WIFE Warren Leonard O’Connor, ’ aged 26, a truck driver, was i fined S7O when he appeared for sentence on a charge of assaulting his wife. The Court had heard that F O’Connor hit his wife on the , evening of March 31 after she refused to give him the keys to her father’s car. ‘ Later the defendant threw his . wife to the floor and banged . her head on the linoleum.

fOUK CHARGES A woman who stole goods worth $22 from her employer was ordered by the Magistrate to tell any prospective employer about her past record. The woman, aged 60. had pleaded guilty to four charges of theft. She was convicted a nd put on probation for 12 months. Counsel (Mr J. G. Salisbury) told the Court that the defendant was unlikely to seek further employment. If she did, the Magistrate ordered, she was to tell her new employer that she had abused a position of trust. * f The employer can then decide the risk for himself,” the Magistrate said. Counsel applied successfully for suppression of the woman's name. STOLE UTENSILS A youth who stole kitchen utensils valued at S6O from the Riccartcn Motor Camp was put on probation for 12 months. The youth, Christopher Wayne Cootes, aged 17, a sawmill worker, had earlier pleaded guilty to a charge of theft. Three other persons, have been convicted on similar charges. The Court was told earlier that the defendant and his associates took the utensils from the motor camp on March 20, after the manager asked them to leave. The goods stolen included a heater, tw’o pots, a mirror, a toaster, plates and cups. Counsel (Mr M. J. Glue) submitted that Cootes had been influenced by his associates. The defendant, who had a steady job and no criminal record, had received no personal gain from the theft, Mr Glue said. FURTHER REMAND Because Wayne Robert Drummond appeared to have done well for himself since his last offending and because he was thought highly of by his employer, he would probablv not be sent to prison, the Magistrate said. Drummond, aged 25. a truck driver, who had pleaded guilty to a charge of burgling Isaac Construction, Ltd, was further remanded to April 22 for a medical examination for periodic detention. Property worth more than SI2OO had been taken in the burglary’ on September 9 and some of it was recovered from the defendant's address in early April. Counsel (Mr J. E. Burke) sqid that it was Drummond’s first dishonesty charge in seven years. He now had a family and had settled down. At the time of the burglary he had just lost his job and had to support his family. BURGLARY Catherine Rose Bell, aged 17, unemployed, was put on probation for 18 months and ordered to do 100 hours of community work when she appeared for sentence on a charge • of burglary. Bell (Mr A. C. HughesJohnson) also pleaded guilty to a charge of being found in a building without lawful excuse. The Court had been told that the defendant and a 17-year-old youth broke into the Super-

ourger on the Main North Road early op the morning of April 1. They escaped with goods valued at s2ou The youth had already been sentenced to Borstal training for his part ip the burglary. the Magistrate said. Sergeant R. H. Fronting said the second charge arose from an incident on April 13. Bell and another person Jiad been found asleep in the loupee of a vacant house at Coleridge Street. Imposing sentence, the Magistrate warned Bell that further offending would almost certainly result in her being placed in an institution. OVERSTAYED PERMITS Lotolagi Sigi, aged 30, and his wife, Iti Sigi, aged 19, both pleaded guilty to a charge of overstaying a three-month entry pennit. They were convicted and remanded on ball pending their deportation back to Western Samoa The husband was also fined 825, (Before Mr B. A. Palmer. S.M.) THREE MONTHS GAOL A 34-year-old man was sentenced to imprisonment for three months, after being convicted for the third time of driving with an excessive bloodalcohol level. Clifford James Jordan, a

shepherd (Mr R. F, ». Perry). Pleaded guilty to chargee ol having an excess hlood-alcohol level of 133 mg, and erf driving while disqualified He received three months imprisonment OR each charge, to be served concurrently; and was disqualified from driving tor two years.

(Before Mr H. J. Evans, S.M.) YOUTH IMPRISONED Reginald Walter Raru Hutana, aged 19, a workman, was sentenced to 15 months imprison, ment on a multiplicity of charges.

He had pleaded not guiltv to charges of assault and burglary but pleaded guilty to two further charges of burglary, one of possessing a prescription poison, one of receiving goods worth $574, and one of unlawfully taking a motor-car. The charges to which fie pleaded not guilty were found proved. Counsel (Mr T. Sissons) submitted that the defendant knew he would have to be Imprisoned for his offences. However, he was pot a layabout but had a good work record. Counsel added that the defendant was easily led end had a carefree attitude to life. The Magistrate said that it was a terrible pity to have to send the defendant to prison at the age of 19.