Custody halts $4500 spree

Press, 22 July 1976, Page 4

Custody halts $4500 spree

A $4500 spending spree 1 using stolen, valueless] cheques in 21 towns and' cities from Auckland to Ash-! burton led to the appearance of a man in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday on a total of 54 charges. The man faces 50 charges of false pretence, involving $4422, two charges of theft of cheque books, a savings book and a Nationwide card, and a charge of burglary. In addition, he is charged with the theft of a $4OOO Mutual Avis rental car, which was allegedly used by the man to travel between one town and another, apparently cashing the cheques as he went, until his arrest in Christchurch earlier this month. He was remanded in custody, without plea, to Friday I before Mr E. S. J. Crutchley, iS.M.

The offences are alleged to I have occurred between March 15 and July 1 in Auckland, Wellington, Christ- ] church, Hamilton, Marton, (Wanganui, Taumaraunui, | Ashburton, Thames, Palmersiton North, Shannon, Levin, iWaikanae. Paraparaumu, ; Rotorua, Mount Maunganui and Tauranga, Waihi. Paeroa land Cambridge.

In Christchurch, the charges relate to 13 cheques that were falsely represented at the United Services Hotel, i the Blenheim Road Motor

Inn, Noah’s Hotel, the Vacation Hotel, and Munns Ltd. In Ashburton, five cheques were falsely represented to the Ashburton Licensing Trust and a sports shop.

(Before Mr H. J. Evans S.M. PERIODIC DENTENTION The “youthful exuberance” of three young men earned them three months periodic detention each when they appeared for sentence on six joint charges. The three, all aged 17, had pleaded guilty to four charges of theft from cars at Lyttelton on June 28, and two charges of unlawfully getting into cars. They are Sean Alan Morris O'Connor, an unemployed freezing worker. David Christopher Hand, a fibre glass worker, and Leslie David Hooper.

The court was told that the defendants had broken into five cars and stolen property from some. They were ordered to pay restitution of $8 each. Counsel (Mr K. J. Osborne) said all three defendants had been drinking heavily when the offences occurred.

None had a history of serious offending, and they were unlikely to appear before the court again.

“It was a combination of alcohol and youthful exuberance which got them into this position,’’ Mr Osborne said.