Addict needed $50 a day

Press, 22 April 1977, Page 5

Addict needed $50 a day

A 19-year-old youth told the Magistrate’s Court yesterday that he needed S5O a day to support his heroin habit. The youth, a rubber worker, whose name was suppressed, was fined S3OO and placed on probation for a year after admitting a charge of trying to steal cigarettes worth 53300 from

the warehouse of Williams: Gwatkins, Ltd. Mr N. L. Bradford, S.M., granted the youth suppression of name on the ground that he would otherwise be a likely target for drug pushers. The Court had already heard that the police, who had been tipped off, caught the accused red-handed. He was handing the cigarettes to two friends on the roof of the premises. Counsel, (Mr P. G. Benseman), said that it was a drug-related offence and that the accused had sought treatment for his heroin addiction before his Court appearan*». The Magistrate ordered the youth to take treatment and to live and work as directed by the probation officer. The officer would also decide with whom the youth was to associate during the period of probation. “Your main object at the moment is breaking your present circle of friends,” said the Magistrate. (Before Mr W. F. Brown, S.M.) HOUSE BURGLARY

Two cheque books and a quantity of leather were taken in the burglary of a house at 55 Clare Road, the ; Court was told. Christopher Bernard Male, aged 18, pleaded guilty to a charge of burglary. He was convicted and remanded to April 29 for sentence. Sergeant J. R. Palmer said that on March 21, a complaint was made to the Solice by the occupants of a ouse at 55 Clare Road. The occupants said that a quantity of leather and two cheque books had been stolen. On April 7, the defendant was interviewed by the police and said he had gone

to the house about 6.30 p.m. on March 21. None of the occupants was home, so Male had taken some leather from a shed on the property, Sergeant Palmer saia. Male found the back door of the house unlocked, and he went in and stole two i cheque books from a dresser.

All the stolen property had been recovered, Sergeant Palmer said. When interviewed by the police, Male said that he had not planned to take anything, but had done so on the spur of the moment. GREYMOUTH INCIDENT Four youths, who set upon another man at Greymouth, punching him and beating him on the back of the neck with a wooden truncheon, pleaded guilty to charges of assault and possession of offensive weapons. Kevin Edward Snook, aged 17, Robert Geoffery Scott, aged 18, Terrence Desmond Burgess, aged 19 and Mark Wayne Riley, aged 19, pleaded guilty to charges of assaulting Noel Joseph Thomson on April 8. Burgess also pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawful possession of a wooden truncheon and Riley admitted a further charge of unlawful possession of a baseball bat. Nails were embedded in the bat, the Court was told. Sergeant J. Palmer said that the four defendants and one other youth attacked the

i complainant in Mainui : Street, Greymouth, at 2.05 ia.m. fj They punched him and’ Burgess hit him on the back . of the neck with the truni cheon. Riley had not aci tually hit the defendant but • he had been carrying a baseball bat in which three-inch I nails were embedded, and he ■ admitted that he had been ! trying to use it on the comi plainant, said Sergeant Palmer. i The Magistrate convicted i the four accused on all ■ charges and remanded them until April 29 for sentence. : sentence. ■ Riley and Burgess were i remanded in custody.