Soldier convicted

Press, 20 August 1976, Page 6

Soldier convicted

A regular force soldier atationed at Bumhatn was convicted of six charges of burglars and two charges of attempted burglary by Mr H. J. Evans. S.M., in the Magistrate's Court yesterday. All the offences occurred in Richmond on August 2. Leslie Andrew Barber, aged 19. pleaded guilty to the charges and was remanded for a week for reports and sentence. Sergeant M. P. Caldwell said that the defendant and a companion had been at a farewell function at the R.S.A. Hall in Richmond and, on the way home, they had wanted some cigarettes. They took about 10 packets of cigarettes from the pie cart, and then broke into the Midway Home Cookerv and took more cigarettes. They went on to Hardware and Cycles, Ltd, and the Rendezvous Restaurant, but gave up in their attempts to get in. At the Richmond Sports Depot they had filled up buckets with sports gear worth $512.55 and had taken the gear away m the buckets and disposed of it at a private house. They had then returned to the shopping centre and had broken Into Taylors Footwear. Ltd and taken some money from the till. They had also taken money from the till of Enrights Books. Ltd. which they had visited next. At their final port of call—M. V. Childs. Ltd—thev had got scared when a fluorescent light had exploded and had left without taking anything. Sergeant Caldwell said. The defendant's explanation to the police for his activities was that he had been drinking. Compensation of $l9O was sought RESOLD CARS An unemployed man who used stolen cheques to buy four cars had later sold three of them to city car dealers. the Court beard.

Raymond Rarere, aged 29, pleaded guilty to four charges of obtaining cars by false pretences. He was convicted and remanded in custody to August 27 for a probation report and sentence.

Compensation of $2050 was sought by the police. Sergeant Caldwell said a house in Worcester Street had been burgled in June and a cheque book and Post Office Savings Bank book stolen. On four separate occasions after that, Rarere had used the cheques to buv cars worth a total of $2850. The defendant had used the Post Office book to verify his identity and had sold three of the cars to car dealers on the same day. Sergeant Caldwell said. Rarere told the police he had found the cheque book on the back seat of a bus on the wav to New Brighton. Refusing to grant the defendant bail, the Magistrate said that Rarere had an extensive list of previous convictions. i Before Mr W. F. Brown, S.M.) 18 MONTHS GAOL A 46-year-old man was gaoled for 18 months when he appeared for sentence on nine charges. "The problem of your alcoholism must come second to the public interest.” the Magistrate told Nell Welby Canty, unemployed. Canty had pleaded guilty to seven charges of false pretence, one of theft, and one of breach of probation. The Court heard that the defendant had presented seven valueless cheques to obtain a watch, rings, clothes, and cash worth more than $7OO. The offences were committed in June and July at Levin, Petone, Auckland. Wellington and Christchurch.

Counsel (Mr M. J. Glue) said the defendant bad struggled hard to overcome his alcohol problem. He submitted that this should be taken into acocunt Iby the Court. Sentencing Canty, the Magistrate said there was no alternative to imprisonment. “The false pretence charges were very- serious, and you have a shocking list of previous convictions.’’ he told the defendant. SOLD CANNABIS A 21-year-old opossum trapper convicted of selling cannabis and escaping from custody was sentenced to six months in gaol. After being arrested on charges of selling cannabis, the man had walked out of the No. 1 Court in Christchurch in June, 1975, and had not been seen since, until August this rear, the Court heard. Mark Edward Stevenson had pleaded guilty to selling cannabis and escaping from custody. Counsel <Mrs J. Anderson) said that in 1974 and 1975. Stevenson had a heavy psychological dependency on cannabis. He had been heavily involved in the drug scene as a result and his actions had been confused and compulsive. Consequently. when the opportunity Presented itself, had had simply walked out of the No. 1 Court. Stevenson had gone to Blackball to live and in that small communitv. where he had supported himself by shooting opossum, he had come to terms with himself and got rid of his cannabis dependency. Mrs Anderson said. Tlie Magistrate said that Stevenson had been very uncooperative with the police since his an-est, even to the extent of trying to dispose of the plastic bags that had contained cannabis by throwing them out of the police car window on the way to the police station. The Court had been told that a house in Olliviers Road had been watched bv the police as it was known to be frequented bv drug users. Seven people had been arrested coming out of the house and charged w-ith possessing cannabis BURGLARIES A 19-year-old tannery worker who burgled the warehouse of Slazenger. Ltd, on two occasions was sentenced to three months periodic detention. Grant Stephen Johnson had stolen knives, spear guns and petty cash worth more ' than *BOO, the Court heard. The defendant had also pleaded guilty to two other charges of burglar. 1 and one of theft. In one of the burglaries, a safe containing $9B was stolen! from Amuri Motors. Ltd. Counsel (Mr K. C. James' said! that Johnson had committed all the offences within a few days to get money to return to Auck-I land. The burglaries had been “illplanned and ill-conceived.” and had brought the defendant very little. Mr James submitted. An associate of the defendant, David Bruce White, aged 18. unemployed, was sentenced to detention centre training on three charges of burglary. “The Court has said many times that burglary is too prevalent in this city,” the Magistrate told White. “The public interest demands a custodial sentence.” The defendant had broken into Amuri Motors on Julv 29, and had also taken part in one of the burglaries at Slazenger. Ltd. On July 6, White had forced a door at Dowson’s Shoes. Ltd. in Ferry Road, and escaned with 12 pairs of shoes worth $l6O. Counsel 'Mrs J. Anderson) told the Court that White's own shoes had been taken, and that he had committed the burglary to replace them.

KICKED NEW CAR After a drinking bout. two youths had caused 5705 damage to a new $6500 car which was standing on the wharf at Lyttelton awaiting shipment. the Court heard. Anthony James McAlister, aged 18. a labourer, had pleaded guilty to a charge of wilfully damaging the car. the property of the Union Steam Ship Company, at Lyttelton on August 6. He was placed on probation for two years and ordered to do 75 hours of community work. He was also disqualified from driving for a year and was ordered to pay compensation of $352.31. The Magistrate said that McAlister’s was a bad case of Wilful damage which amounted to sheer vandalism. It seemed incredible that he and his friend could damage a car to such an extent by kicking it all over McAlister and his co-offender had kicked in the door panels on the car and jumped on the boot. His explanation was that they were happy and were doing it for fun.

(Before Mr F. G Paterson. S.M.I RESTITUTION OF $9BO A man who smashed the shop W’indow of Richmond Electrical and stole a colour television set which has not been recovered, was put on probation for 18 months, ordered to do 50 hours community work, and to make restitution of $9BO at the rate of $lO a week. Daniel Neil Barrett aged 29. a painter was found guilty on a charge of burglary after a defended hearing. Mr M. F. McClelland said that Barrett had already been sentenced on charges of theft and car conversion committed on the same night. Barrett had been out of trouble for eight months and that was quite an achievement in view of his previous record. The Magistrate said that in the light of Barrett's substantial record. which included several convictions for burglary, he would be fortunate if he was left in the community, but that was what was recommended by the probation officer. Most of Barrett's past offences were due to li is addiction to drugs ‘You would be well advised to take advantage of the leniency being extended to you because if your misbehaviour continues the community will be very concerned. I acknowledge that you are prepared to face JPJ w making restitution,” the Magistrate said.