The courts Cannabis seeds in sock cost visitor $l5O

Press, 13 April 1978, Page 4

The courts Cannabis seeds in sock cost visitor $l5O

A man who arrived at Christchurch Airport from Australia on Tuesday was found to have 1360 cannabis seeds in a sock in his luggage. In the Magistrate’s Court yesterday he was convicted and fined $l5O by Mr J. S. Bisphan, S.M. David John Blomfield, aged 22, a lino and carpet layer, pleaded guilty to a charge of having the seeds in his possession. Sergeant G. C. Jones said the defendant had arrived at Christchurch Airport on Tuesday and that during a Customs search the sock containing the seeds was found in his baggage. At first Blomfield had denied all knowledge of the seeds but later admitted having packed the sock in his luggage. He said he intended to give the seeds to a friend in Invercargill, his home town.

The Court was told the defendant had lived in Australia for the last year and that he was only" in New Zealand on a visit. He had admitted to the police that he had a previous conviction for possessing cannabis in Australia. ASSAULT CHARGE

John Katene, aged 27, who pleaded guilty to a charge of assaulting Kevin Archibald, was convicted and remanded on bail of $lOOO to April 17 for a probation report and sentence.'

Sergeant Jones said that about 11 p.m. on March 31 the complainant had arrived at his Worcester Street home after having spent some time with friends in a city hotel. An argument had developed between the complainant and the defendant during which the latter struck and kicked the former about the head. The comSlainant had to be taken to ospital with a head wound which required several Mr R. J. Murfitt, in seeking bail for his client, said that the complainant was acting as surety to the defendant and that both men were still living at the same address. BREACH OF LICENCE

On a charge of carrying on the business of a motorvehicle dealer while not the holder of a current dealer’s licence, John Berryman, aged 30, a part-time spray painter, was convicted and given a suspended sentence of two years. Sergeant Jones said that between August, 1976 and November, 1977, the defendant had placed advertisements in both Christchurch

newspapers in which he had advertised 17 vehicles, of which seven were sold.

When interviewed by the g slice in February this year, erryman had said it was one way a person could make a little extra money. Counsel (Mr M. J. Glue) said his client was no businessman but that he had run a wrecking yard for 16 months. He had bought cars for wrecking and had thought it a good idea to advertise some of those in a better condition for people to buy on an “as is, where is” basis.

There was no suggestion that he was trading as a normal second-hand car dealer did, he said. THEFT OF MOTOR A man who was charged with stealing an $B5O out- | board motor and had sold it for $245 did so because he was “desperately” short of money, the Cburt was told. Kenneth Robert Winter, aged 41, a baker, pleaded guilty to the offence, committed at Rotorua on or about October 25, 1975. Sergeant Jones said that in 1975 the defendant had rented a house at Rotorua which belonged to the complainant, Albert Mason Archer.

About October 25 that year the defendant had gone to a flat where Archer’s property was stored and had taken the outboard motor. This he then took to Tauranga where he sold it for $245.

The police found the motor but not the defendant until he came to the attention of the police in Christchurch this month.

Compensation of $245 was sought, said Sergeant Jones. Winter was convicted and remanded to April 26 for a probation report and sentence. INDECENCY CHARGE

A man, aged 49, was remanded without plea to April 18 on a charge of indecently assaulting a 17-year-old‘ girl in Christchurch on March 30. The man, whose name was suppressed in the interim, was remanded at large. THEFT OF YACHT Raymond John Harrison, aged 18, one of three youths who last month was involved in the theft of a $16,000 trimaran yacht, was sentenced to six months periodic detention when he appeared for sentence.

The Magistrate also put him on probation for 12 months with the special con-

dition that he live and work as directed. Harrison’s two co-offenders have already been dealt with by the courts. Harrison faced a charge of unlawfully taking the yacht and another of unlawfully taking a car. Hie Yacht was taken by the three youths from its moorings in Cass Bay on March 9. It ran aground near Spencer Park. Sergeant M. P. Caldwell sought compensation of $3OOO for the yacht’s owner to cover damage done to the yacht when it ran aground. The Magistrate made no order about compensation which, he said, could be pursued in the civil courts. (Before Mr J. D. Kinder, S.M.) SMUGGLING CHARGE

A Lyttelton watersider who smuggled 12 watches, worth $3430, off a ship at Wellington, was convicted and fined $2OO. ■ Michael James Tyro, aged 27, admitted smuggling 11 digital watches and one automatic watch in that he landed them from the vessel Hupeh with intent to defraud the Customs Depart-

ment on August 20. Mr B. M. Stanaway, appearing for the department, said that the defendant was seen leaving the vessel and running to a taxi which took him to Wellington Airport. Tyro was then approached by a Customs officer and he handed over two watches, and nine others later. A total of 12 watches was recovered. The defendant admitted getting all the watches on board the Hupeh. Counsel (Mr M. J. McDonald) told the Court that

: I Tyro had not gone to Weljlington with the intention of i stealing the watches. i He was visiting friends on the Waitangi, had been ’ offered the watches and had : accepted them. Tyro had received similar offers in the past and had always declined these, counsel said. The defendant was also faced with heavy financial commitments which were not helped by a down-turn in overtime work available at the Lyttelton wharf. The Magistrate told Tyrol that he could not solve his ’ financial problems by smuggling goods and had laid himself open to a penalty of $lO,OOO. CUSTOMS OFFENCE The Christchurch firm of Steels Motor Assemblies, Ltd, 81 Buchanans Road, Hornby, has been accused of removing goods worth almost $430,000 from its warehouse before they were seen by Customs officials. The offences allegedly occurred between February 25 and 28, 1977. No plea was entered for any of the six charges and the case was remanded until April 26.

GLASS IN RUBBISH A man who put out a City Council rubbish bag with a broken Hotel Association glass poking through the plastic was convicted and fined $25. Russell James Perry admitted that he had not sufficiently wrapped the glass before he placed the rubbish bag in Barbadoes Street on November 3. Mr D. M. Palmer, representing the council, said that these matters were regarded seriously as they were difficult to prove and often resulted in injury.