Tattooist jailed for burglary

Press, 15 April 1978, Page 4

Tattooist jailed for burglary

1 A man who organised a I convention for tattooists ) was jailed for eight months i by Mr Justice Somers in the •* Supreme Court yesterday on a charge of burglary: | Tere Low McGarvey, aged 130, a tattooist, was found I guilty by a jury on a charge of burgfary of the Tinwald iTavern in Archibald Street Jon January 16. J Evidence was given that McGarvey and two other ! men stole liquor and other J property from the tavern and drove off in a car about 5.15 a.m. The police stopped the car a short time later in Ashburton and during a scuffle one of the three men escaped. Mr T. Sissons, for McGarvey, said- that the probation officer's recommendation for a non-custodial sentence was a realistic one despite the fact that one of the other men involved, Stephen John Raynor, had been jailed for two years. Raynor had about 130 convictions, many of i I them committed recently, I i and he had only just been' released from prison w’hen ; he did this burglary. I Since 1972, McGarvey had | been out of trouble apart I from a conviction for as-' I saulting a constable arising; f out of this burglary offence. • I During the last seven years! ' he had demonstrated the j promise many persons had

: seen in him. He was highly; > ! regarded by his employers! > and had played a leading! - part in the tattooing trade! i-by running a magazine and! organising a convention, Mr! I .Sissons said. II Mr B. Stanaway, for the! ■ Crown, said that the bur-; j.glary was a serious one! t which required a deterrent! sentence because of the pre- : valence of such ocences. His Honour said that in •j the early hours of January 1! 17 McGarvey and two others : broke into the Tinwald Tavl‘ern and took liquor and - j other property. They were 11 apprehended a few minutes! i i after driving away from the j tavern. McGarvey had previous i i convictions for dishonesty; ■ both here and in Australia,! 5 but his last offence was : committed in 1972. Since - then, until January, he had led a useful life, had built • up a business of his own, and had assumed family re- , sponsibilities. The primary purpose of! I punishment was the rehabili-j ration of the offender, but in ; cases such as this he had to take into account that it was I ! a serious offence and that; : burglary was rife, so he had ; - to have regard for the deter-; I rent aspect. It was widely) ;| known that burglary would; -result in a custodial sen-) tence, said his Honour.