The courts Twelve charged after brawlThe courts

Press, 7 April 1978, Page 16

The courts Twelve charged after brawl The courts

No pleas were entered to! the 25 charges laid against; 11 men and a woman who) appeared in the Magistrate's! Court yesterday as a result of an incident at Kaiapoi on 1 Wednesday night when they; were alleged to have at- j tacked the police. All but one of the 12 were' remanded on bail. One man, Augustine Stanley Rang!,, who faces six charges, was remanded in custody. Rangi, aged 24, a painter ■ and paper hangei, was! charged with behaving in a disorderly manner, two! charges of assaulting a constable in the execution of I hi. duty, two charges of! having with him in a public ' place offensive eapons — a metal pipe and a bottle,> and one charge of inciting' Mark Quinlin and others to I wilfully obstruct a constable! in the execution of his duty. 1 Manaia Leslie Kereama.! aged 19, a rigger, who was: charged with five charges! involving wilful obstruction, having offensive weapons — a bottle, and a length of) wire, inciting, and behaving ; in a disorderly manner, was) remanded on bail of $1000! to April 12. The remaining 10 offen- !

ders were remanded on bail! to April 13 and ordered to report daily to the Central) Police Station. Their offences related to disorderly behaviour, assaulting the police, and carrying offensive weapons. They were: Taui Thompson, aged 22, a carpenter; Wi Whitu Joseph Titoko,. aged 21, unemployed; Christopher Tana, aged 24, a pile 1 driver; Mark Quinlin, also | known as Mark Asher, aged! 21, a labourer, Christopher! Pauro, aged 20, a press operator; Sonny Morehu, aged 20, a labourer; Joe Taiapa, : aged 21, unemployed and Jocelyn Gay Richards, ai machinist. The charges all relate to! an incident at the corner of) Island Road and Ohoka ; Road, Clarkville, about 111 p.m. on Wednesday when! the 12 allegedly attacked a I group of policemen after one, of them was stopped for a! minor driving offence. BROTHEL CHARGES A woman, aged 47, j charged with keeping a) brothel at a New Brighton) address, was remanded with-1 out plea on bail to April 13. i The Magistrate granted I

I the woman interim suppression of her name and that of (her address. Margaret Ethel Garrett, aged 23, an unemployed masseuse, was also charged with having kept a brothel at the same address in that she did aid the 47-year-old woman in the commission of ithe said offence which was alleged to have occurred on I April 5. Garrett, whose name was not suppressed, was remanded on bail to April 17. No plea was entered. RECEIVING CHARGE Steven Rose, aged 17, a canister worker, was remanded on bail to April 13 when he appeared charged ' with receiving a $3OO motor- • cycle, the property of Ray- , mond lan Howard, on April jl. He made no plea. FIVE CHARGES A salesman, aged 23, [charged with causing the death of Thomas Rattray Ayson while driving on Aidwins Road on March 6 at a speed which was dangerous, was remanded to April 27 fo. the taking of depositions. Lindsay Alexander Williamson was also charged with failing to ascertain

whether anyone had been in* jured, failing to render all practicable assistance, and driving outside the terms of a limited licence. (Before Mr P. J. McAloon S.M.) UNLAWFUL ENTRY Paul Nicholas Jackson, aged 21, who was earlier convicted of unlawfully entering the premises of the General Accident Fire and Life Assurance Corporation, Ltd, was sentenced to periodic detention for six months. In addition the Magistrate released Jackson on probation for 12 months, during which period he was to undertake such treatment for his alcoholism as was directed by his probation officer. More than $32,815 worth of accident compensation cheques and $4OO worth of electrical equipment were taken by the defendant, who had admitted breaking into the premises of the corporation because he was broke and needed money to get to Auckland. Counsel (Mr P. M. James) said the defendant had committed the offence because

his personal circumstances: were “rather desperate” at the time. Although much had been made of the $32,815 worth of compensation cheques, Mr James submitted that as they had not been countersigned all his client got was 28 worthless pieces of paper which he had thrown into a rubbish bin.

The Magistrate accepted that the cheques were not negotiable although, he said, the crime was serious in that the potential for taking a lot of money and property was there. On this occasion, he said, he would give the defendant, for whom it was his first entry into serious crime, the chance to remain within the community.