The courts Remand on rape attempt charge

Press, 14 December 1977, Page 5

The courts Remand on rape attempt charge

A man aged 44, charged i with the attempted rape of a ■ woman in Christchurch on ‘Monday was remanded with|out plea to December 20 by I Mr J. S. Bisphan, S. M,, when he appeared in the {Magistrate’s Court yesterday. j Counsel (Miss J. M. s Drake) sought interim i suppression of her client’s I name as both he and his iwife ran a business in I Christchurch. The Magistrate granted the request. The accused is also charged with indecently assaulting a girl aged 17 in Christchurch on November 7. No plea was entered on this charge, which was also put back to December 20. Sergeant M. P. Caldwell said the police had no objection to bail, provided there were two substantial sureties, and the accused reported daily to the Central Police Station. He also sought final suppression of the complainants’ name. The Magistrate allowed the accused bail of $750 on his own recognisance with two sureties of $750. LIQUOR STOLEN j Paul Harpur, aged 23, was ! convicted and remanded in ■custody to December 20 for a probation report and i sentence when he appeared charged with breaking and entering the warehouse premises of Ballins Industries, Ltd on November 27. Sergeant Caldwell said that between 4 a.m. and 11 a.m. the warehouse had been broken into and liquor worth $1824 — mainly whisky, bourbon and rum — taken. Harpur admitted the charge and told the police that he had been helped by an associate whose name he

refused to disclose. He said I that the vehicle used to I commit the offence belonged Ito the associate. Sergeant Caldwell said the liquor was taken and hidden in a garage in Christchurch. As a result of information received, the police executed a search warrant at the address of Trevor Douglas Boreham. aged 18, a mechanic, and all the liquor was found there in a garage, said Sergeant Caldwell. Boreham denied receiving I the property, but appeared on a charge of receiving one bottle of whisky, valued at $B.lO. Counsel (Mr G. D. Home) said it had not been alleged that the defendant was aware of the stock of liquor in the garage — which was but one of three at the back of the property. He had no car, and had no use for a garage. The house was divided into several flats. Counsel said the defendant had been drinking, and had admitted drinking whisky from a bo‘ f le which he had learned was “hot.” On the charge of receiving the whisky Boreham was convicted and fined $75. STOLE SOCKS While employed by Lane Walker Rudkin, Ltd, Steven James Ngahooro stole 18 pairs of socks, valued at $3O, the Court was told. Ngahooro, aged 21, an unemployed factory worker, pleaded guilty to stealing the socks between June 1 and December 12. He was convicted and remanded on bail to December 20 for sentence. Sergeant Caldwell said that after a complaint to the police on December 12 by the company that socks had been taken from its factory,

i the defendant’s fiat was searched. The defendant had been employed by the company as a shift supervisor. Ngahooro admitted taking the socks. ft had been his practice to have a shower at work, and to put on a clean pair of socks, he said. The socks had all been worn and were not in a saleable condition, said Sergeant Caldwell. RAMMED CAR After his car was overtaken by another car on Hills Road, Kingsley Clement McLelland Benny followed the woman driver, rammed the back of her car, and shouted at her, the Court was told. Benny, aged 29. a company director pleaded guilty to a charge of driving in a dangerous manner. He was fined $l5O, and disqualified from driving for six months. Sergeant Caldwell said that at 10.30 p.m. on November 11, Benny was driving north along Hills Road. He was passed by a car driven by the complainant. Benny followed her to the; intersection, of Hills and Shirley Roads, where they stopped for red traffic lights. Benny went to the complainant’s car shouting at her, and tried to open her car door, said Sergeant Caldwell. The complainant then drove off, followed by Benny. At the intersection of Marshlands and Shirley Roads, Benny rammed the rear of the complainant’s car causing $5O damage. The complainant drove back towards town, followed by Benny.

At the intersection ofi ' Hills Road and Dudley' 'Street, Benny passed on the ■ left side of her car and ithrew a hamburger in a bag iat her car hitting a window. At the intersection of Colombo and Gloucester Streets, the complainant stopped for red traffic lights and the defendant again shouted at her. When the lights changed she drove off. The complainant and twoj other women in the car were upset and shaken, said Sergeant Caldwell. Benny had said he had been drinking that evening and “could not remember much about it.” Benny’s counsel said that as the defendant had been driving along Hills Road he had felt the complainant “cut rather sharply in front of him.” He was annoyed, and wanted to talk to the complainant about it. Benny did not remember ramming the complainant’s car, said counsel. He was prepared to pay the $5O damage. (Before Mr K. N. Frampton S.M.) MAN LED ON A father of five children.; who was later convicted of| having sexual intercourse I with a girl aged 13, had; placed himself in a “com-j promising position” against; his better judgment, counsel told the Court. The accused, aged 52, whose name was suppressed, had gone to a section to relieve himself, and the girl had followed and encouraged him. At no time did the defendant take the initiative, counsel said. Although the man had made “acts of preparation,” no actual intercourse had

[taken place. The girl had Irun off because she had 'been disturbed by a byCounsel added that the girl had since been placed ini the care of the Social Wei- 1 fare Department because of her promiscuity. The Magistrate said that he agreed that the girl had: been the encouraging party.! He sentenced the man to i seven months non-residential periodic detention. and 1 placed him on probation for 18 months. SOLD ANTIQUES The Magistrate declined to: make an order for restitution when he sentenced Leslie Walter Port, aged 23, who sold stolen antiques worth $2OO to a dealer for $5O. Port was placed on proba-i tion for 18 months w-ith the conditions that he receive treatment for his alcoholism and live and work where directed. The defendant had earlier been convicted on a charge of stealing the antiques from a house in Bealey Avenue. Counsel said that Port had

I a serious drinking problem, ! and was of limned inItelligence The Magistrate agreed {that the main reason for the i defendant's offending was his addiction to alcohol. BURGLARY OFFENCES A youth convicted of 65 charges of burglary, theft land taking of motor-cars in I the last four years, was {sentenced to Borstal training this time for taking a car i worth $l6OO. The Magistrate told Lindj say Robin Eddy that if he i was left at large he wrould {continue to offend. In Bor- ■ stal he would have the opportunity to learn a trade. Eddy swore loudly as he was leaving the dock. CORRECTION John Mervyn Webb, aged {l7, a rotary hoeing conI tractor, was reported yesterday as having pleaded guilty to a charge of being in possession of a .22 calibre air rifle, not for a proper purpose, and of presenting it at a girl in Spencer Park on November 19. He pleaded guilty only to the latter charge; the possession charge was withdrawn.