Magistrate's Court Jail for ‘sneaky’ car thefts from beaches

Press, 22 February 1978, Page 4

Magistrate's Court Jail for ‘sneaky’ car thefts from beaches

A man convicted on 11 charges involving thefts, a burglary, and unlawfully taking motor-cars from beaches, was sentenced to two years jail by Mr J. S. Bisphan, S.M., when he appeared for sentence in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

Eric James Keen, aged 22, had been convicted on five charges of unlawfully taking cars, five charges of theft, involving a total of $BOl worth of cash and goods, and one charge of burglary. The Magistrate said imprisonment was the only possible sentence for Keen, who had a long list of burglary, theft, and robbery convictions. Compensation was out of the question, because Keen had no assets. In his latest spate of offending Keen had watched people at beaches, taken kevs from their clothing while they were in the sea, and had then used their cars. One of the cars worth $755 had been written off after it hit a power pole. The offences were not only serious but “sneaky,” said the Magistrate. Counsel (Mr L. C. Dann) said Keen’s personality was suited to imprisonment in that he derived a certain amount of peace from such an environment. (Before Mr F. G. Paterson S.M.) MURDER CHARGE Frederick Alexander Billens, was remanded in custody to April 3 for the taking of depositions on a charge of murder. Billens, aged 57, unemployed, is charged with having murdered Stephen Craig Billens, his son, on January 8 at his home in Breezes Road.

The remand, at the request Of Sergeant K. J. Hurndell, was not opposed by Billen’s counsel (Mr P. H. B. Hall). Billens was brought back

to Christchurch under police escort from Australia on Friday afternoon. He appeared in the Magistrate’s Court on Saturday, and was remanded in custody to yesterday. BOOKMAKING OFFENCE On a charge of carrying on the business of a bookmaker in Christchurch on January 30, Gary George Morrell, was convicted and remanded to February 28 for a probation report and sentence. Bai] was set at $lOOO. Sergeant Hurndell said that a search warrant had been executed at an address in Gayhurst Road, and the police had found the defendant together with a telephone, a radio, and racing publications. Sixty bets, to a total value of $l5OO, had been placed on two meetings. In the 20 minutes the police were at the premises the telephone rang nine times. Sergeant Hurndell said the defendant did not live at the residence, and had been using it for only two weeks. He added that the defendant, an advertising salesman, had twice previously been convicted on charges of bookmaking. OBSCENE LANGUAGE lan Brackenbury Channell, aged 44, was convicted and fined $3O for using obscene language in Cathedral Square on December 6.

Channell pleaded guilty. Sergeant Hurndell said the obscene language was used by Channell during a lunchtime address before a crowd of about 200. While talking about the relationship between a man and a woman Channell had got into a verbal argument with a person in the crowd, and it was then that the defendant hid used the words complained of. Sergeant Hurndell said many complaints about the defendant’s language were

received by the police. Counsel (Mr D. J. Taffs) said his client readily admitted the offence, which he regretted. As soon as he had used the words complained of he realised he had gone too far. In explanation he said he had used the language for dramatic effect, replying to an interjector known to him as the "Horrible Heckler.”

At the time of the argument Channell was commenting about the Oedipus complex. It was a matter of public standards, said the Magistrate. The defendant was an intelligent person, who should have known better. THEFT CHARGE Bail of $l5OO was allowed Colin Clifford Ernest Henderson, a shop assistant, when he appeared charged with theft as a servant. No plea was entered, and Henderson was remanded to March 1. He is charged that he stole various sums of money, totalling $546, from Tingey’s Ltd. The offences were alleged to have occurred between September 15 and January 31. DIVERTED LOAD A truck driver carting road metal from a quarry in Halswell into Christchurch dropped off a load in a drive at Hornby, the Court was told. He was convicted and sentenced to four months periodic detention. Trevor David Mitchell,

aged 29, pleaded guilty to stealing eight yards of topcourse metal, valued at $5O, the property of Blake Brothers, Ltd, and to> unlawfully converting to Ms own use a $3OOO truck, also the property of Blake Brothers. The offence occurred on December 9. Mitchell told the police he delivered the load at the request of another person, and that he did not think his employer would miss one load. The load had since been paid for. (Before Mr B. A. Palmer S.M.) ROBBERY CHARGE A youth charged with robbing money from a child collecting for the Intellectually Handicapped society In Hoon Hay on Monday evening appeared in the Children and Young Persons Court The youth, aged 16, charged with robbing the complainant of $12.43, was remanded on bail, without plea, to February 28. The defendant is a high school student and the Magistrate ordered that he live with his mother during the remand. It was alleged by the police that the defendant struggled with the collector, who was aged eight, and hit him in the face before taking the collecting bag. The defendant had been found later in a nearby public toilet, counting money from the robbery, said the police.