Man faces more charges

Press, 19 October 1977, Page 4

Man faces more charges

Kevin David Fox, aged 24, of Timaru, was remanded yet again when he appeared in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday on drug charges alleged to have been committed in July. He is charged with having cannabis in his possession for the purpose of supply, and with having cannabis in his possession. Mr F. G. Paterson, S.M., remanded Fox in custody to October 27 for a fixture. When Fox was arrested on July 26 the police seized cannabis with a street value of $16,000. When he appeared in Court yesterday Fox faced three additional charges. He was alleged to have broken into and entered the premises of a Temuka watchmaker and jeweller on September 29 when property worth about $lO,OOO was taken; to have had five hypodermic syringes and six needles in his possession in Christchurch on October 5; and to have unlawfully possessed a sawn-off shotgun. On these three charges Fox was remanded without plea to October 28. THEFTS FROM CARS Two Kaiapoi brothers who each faced seven charges of stealing property from cars were convicted and released on probation for 12 months and as a special condition

ordered to do 120 hours of community work. Grant Walter Eder, aged 17, and Philip George Eder, aged 18, both pleaded guilty to the offences which were committed in Kaiapoi. The two had broken into seven cars. All the property had been recovered, the Court was told. The Magistrate told the two that a dim view was taken of interfering with cars and the theft of property from them. There was far too much of such offending in the community. KEPT BROTHEL “This is the type of offence which always seems to catch the eye of the news media,” said Counsel (Mr M. J. Glue) when he sought suppression of the name of his client who appeared on a charge of keeping a brothel. The Magistrate granted interim suppression of name to both the 38-year-old masseuse and the business she is alleged to have run. Mr Glue said the charge would be defended and the woman was remanded on bail without plea to November 2. (Before Mr J. S. Bisphan, S.M.) ASSAULT A man convicted of assaulting a taxi-driver was sentenced yesterday after the hearing of further evi-

dence which had been called for on the day originally set for sentence. The defendant, whose name was suppressed, was fined $2OO — half to be paid to the taxi-driver — put on probation for two years, and ordered to pay $55 restitution.

He was alleged to have brandished a carving knife at the taxi-driver after a dispute over the fare. When he appeared for sentence on October 7 his counsel, Mr P. J. Rutledge, said that al-

though he had pleaded guilty he did not agree with the police statement of facts. The tax-driver, Gary Thomas Moreton, gave evidence that when he had asked for the fare the defendant had abused him, and gone into his home. When witness followed him, the defendant had “pushed” him, and later hit him over the head while his back was turned.

Defendant had then followed witness down the path to the street and jumped off a wall, knife in hand, almost on top of the witness. A friend of the defendant’s told of seeing him jump off the wall, but said that the taxi-driver was some 60m up the street. Counsel said that the defendant, had a history of

I nervous complaints since the "bitter” break-up of his I marriage. On the day of the >assault, defendant had appeared in court on a matter related to the payment of maintenance.

‘‘The circumstances surrounding this matter are precisly what the defendant is charged with — assault — and nothing more serious than that.” he said. The Magistrate said that when the defendant had first appeared before him he had (considered imposing a

sentence of imprisonment. But both of yesterdays witnesses were giving what they thought was the truth, and there was doubt about the incident concerning the knife.

If it had been proved that the knife had ben aimed al the taxi-driver, he would have had to imprison the defendant.

By not doing so, he was dealing extremely leniently with the defendant. “The mere fact that you were brandishing a knife puts this matter in a category which must be classed as serious. “Taxi-drivers are one of those classes of person who perform a public service — like traffic officers, policemen, and ambulancemen. “They are entitled to the full protection of the law — more so than many others,” said the Magistrate.