Woman guilty of cannabis sale

Press, 24 February 1977, Page 8

Woman guilty of cannabis sale

A 45-year-old woman was convicted of selling two sticks of cannabis to an undercover policeman by Mr H. J. Evans, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Ruth Lillian Malmo (Mr G. M. Brodie) had pleaded not guilty to the charge last 'week, and the Magistrate re--1 served his decision until yesterday.

He said that the credi,bility of the defendant was 'lower than that of the other witnesses.

He said he did not overlook some conflict in the | testimony of the two police|men: one said the sale took place on a Sunday, and the other that the cannabis was in his possession by Saturday night. “I am satisfied however, that the sale took place on October 31,” the Magistrate said. 7/lalmo was remanded for a week for a probation officer’s report and sentence. Bail was set at $lOO. POSSESSION

Robert Wayne Patterson, aged 20, was sentenced to six months periodic detention, after he had previously pleaded guilty to three narcotics charges. Patterson admitted possessing two pipes for smoking cannabis, two needles and a spoon to administer heroin, and unlawfully possessing heroin. I “These are serious posses- [ sion charges,” the Magistrate told the defendant.

(Before Mr ■F. G. Paterson, S.M.) ROBBERY

Joseph Ruka, aged 26, was I convicted on a charge of I helping another man to rob a dairy in Colombo Street on September 11. i Sergeant B. G. Saunders ■said that Ruka and another !man went to the back of the ■ shop, while a third man [broke into it.

The defendant helped to carry groceries worth $202 to a waiting vehicle. The property was left at a flat in Wilsons Road, where a girlfriend of Ruka’s lived. When questioned by the police, Ruka denied taking the property. He pleaded guilty to the charge, and was remanded until March 14 for a probation officer’s report and sentence. Bail was set at $2OO. (Before Mr B. A. Palmer S.M.) BURGLED NEIGHBOUR An unemployed man who took $420 worth of goods from his neighbour, and a week later burgled a garage, stealing $lBOO in property, was sentenced to six months periodic detention. Earnest James Brown, aged 37, had previously pleaded guilty to the charges of theft and burglary. Yesterday he pleaded guilty to a further charge of receiving two car radios. The Court had previously heard that Brown took a rotary mower valued at $250 from his neighbour’s garage. He also took a double mattress and bed-ends worth $l7O, and a cheque book. The police later found the property at the defendant’s flat, and he admitted taking it.

On January 26, Brown broke into the workshop of Prebbleton Motors. He took a car, three lawnmowers and four tyres, worth a total of $1785.' Counsel (Mr P. G. Bensemann) submitted yesterday that the defendant had only been released from prison two months before the offences, and had found it difficult to get a job. He {said that all the money the defendant had earned in the pre-release period had been taken away from him when he left prison and so he had been released penniless.