Magistrate's Court Jail for receiver of stolen stamps

Press, 17 February 1978, Page 16

Magistrate's Court Jail for receiver of stolen stamps

A youth who appeared in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday on a charge of having received 21 stamps, valued at $20,000, stolen from the Canterbury Museum last month was sentenced by Mr N. L. Bradford, S.M.. to two years imprisonment. The youth, Maxwell John Granger, aged 19, a bottle dealer, was told by the Magistrate that the manner of disposing of the stamps made him almost a “sophisticated criminal.” When stolen, the 21 stamps had been in five blocks of four, with a single stamp. These Granger had cut into single stamps which had the effect of diminishing their value.

Granger had sold two stamps to two different Christchurch stamp dealers for $1550 each, and a further five had been sold to an Australian stamp dealer for $1777. With the $4877 he had received, but did not share with his associate, Granger had bought a latemodel American car.

Although $5OOO compensation was sought by the museum, and $4877 oh behalf of the stamp dealers, the Magistrate said he would make no such order. The dealers could use their rights in civil law to recover their money, he said. The Magistrate ordered the return of the stamps recovered. The Magistrate said that since March, 1976, the defendant had appeared frequently in the court. Most charges he had faced had involved dishonesty. In July last year he had been sen-

tenced to six months jail for three offences of theft. On a charge of receiving three bottles of liquor and about 50 packets of cigarettes, together valued about $BO, stolen in a burglary of the Dallington Bowling Club, Granger was sentenced to six months jail, this term to be concurrent with the head sentence. ASSAULT ON CONSTABLE A youth had tried to! “knee” a police constable in the groin after the constable had spoken to him during a| routine patrol in Hampshire Street, Aranui, the Court was told. Constable R. J. Brownlee gave evidence that Graeme Keith Taylor, unemployed, had been responsible. Taylor was convicted and fined $3O for assaulting Constable Brownlee. Taylor pleaded not guilty. Constable Brownlee said that he and another constable found Taylor and, other youths sitting in a car in Hampshire Street about 3 a.m. on December 28. It was police practice to check carloads of youths at that time of the night, he said. Upon approaching the car, he and the other constable had been abused by the youths. Taylor had left the car for a time but returned while it was being checked for stolen goods. After yelling abuse. Tavlor had tried to knee witness in the groin.

“His knee landed on my thigh,” Constable Brownlee said. It had not been a heavy blow. Taylor gave evidence that he and those with him on the night had left the car

after being approached because they could see no reason for being detained. While returning to the car, Constable Brownlee had approached. "He was trying to quieten me down. His left foot was placed on my right foot,” said Taylor.

“I asked him to remove i his foot but he would not so [ I pulled my foot from under !his.” Taylor said. “After this [l was thrown to the ground.” i Taylor denied assaulting [the constable, and said he (defendant) had not been perfectly sober at the time. Two other witnesses gave evidence that they saw the constable with his foot on Taylor’s foot but the Magistrate said that, because of conflicts in defence evidence, he accepted the prosecution evidence.

(Before Mr J. S. Bisphan, S.M.) DRUG CHARGES

All the evidence was suppressed by the Magistrate, at the request of the police when two young women appeared each charged with tour drug offences.

Both women were granted interim suppression of their names.

One woman, aged 22, unemploved, was granted bail of §l5OO. Her requirement of daily reporting to the police was changed to reporting twice weekly. Detective Sergeant J. J. Chadderton said she would be a police witness in court proceedings involving a Christchurch doctor.

She had been charged with using heroin: with

[using without reasonable exlouse a prescription poison, diazepan; with procuring a class B controlled drug, methaqualone: and with using without reasonable excuse pentazocine, a prescription poison. [ The other woman, aged 29. also unemployed, pleaded [guilty to charges of receiving a prescrinticn poison, diazepan: of using a class B controlled drug, morphineof procurring a Class B drug, dextromoramide: and with using without reasonable excuse a prescription poison, pentazocine. She was remanded in custody. RECEIVED CHAINSAWS On a charge of receiving two chainsaws, valued at $4lB. a man. aged 35, was convicted and remanded to February 23 for a report and sentence. The Magistrate granted the man interim suppression of his name and allowed bail of $5OO, with a similar surety.

Detective Sergeant Chadderton said that on the night of November 19-20 the premises of Hobday’s Lawnmower Service were burgled and 14 chainsaws and other n’-onerty. of a total value of $5655 taken.

Acting on information received, the police searched th; defendant’s home where two of the chainsaws were found in the roof of a parage. These the defendant said he had bought for $7O in a hotel. CANNABIS OFFENCE

Bryan Laurence Brown, aged 25. unemployed, was convicted and remanded to February 23 for a report and sentence when he appeared on two dniß charges. He pleaded guilty to having cannabis in his possession and to dealing in cannabis plant, a controlled C class drug. Detective Sergeant Chadderton said that when the police visited the defendant’s residence they found him with 15 cannabis sticks wrapped in tinfoil. These, he said, he had grown. Five of the sticks had been sold in a New Brighton tavern for $63, and it was planned to sell the rest.

The Magistrate allowed the defendant bail of $750, with two sureties of $5OO, and ordered him to report daily to the police.