Shot results in attempted murder count

Press, 9 June 1978, Page 5

Shot results in attempted murder count

A young man was re- p' mande'd in custody to June fr 15 by Mr J. S. Bisphan.it) S.M., when he appeared in [ j, the Magistrate’s Court f ( yesterday on a charge of at-1 , r tempted murder — the sew quel to a shooting incident |at Mt Pleasant late on d (Wednesday evening. b i The accused. Michael [Thomas Edward Charles. |aged 21, a blocklayer. d I entered no plea. ■ Charles is charged with T attempting to murder Robert ! > Lindsay Ray in Christchurch ‘ on Wednesday. The charge relates to an; incident on Mount Pleasant s when a man shouted outside J] Mr Ray's house in Soleares d Avenue that he would kill 1 the occupants. Mr Ray and his family dived to the floor after a rifle shot shattered a win- s dow. 1 The Christchurch Armed 1 Offenders Squad was called [out, but no further shot was jj fired. The police later took - I possession of a .303 rifle. I Sergeant G. C. E. Jones? (said the police strongly op- t posed bail. He sought a re- ( > mand to June 22 for a psy-! j chiatric report on the: t [( 49 CHARGES; 29 TO COME j Jonathon William Tate, aged 18, unemployed, was j | convicted and remanded in < [custody to June 15 for sen- j - tence when he appeared on j 49 charges — mostly false j [pretence. , | Tate pleaded guilty to all the offences, which were committed earlier this year and from which he obtained | cash and goods to a total value of $1289. [ Sergeant Jones said in [ 1 [February Tate received a ' [stolen cheque book, and be- ’ tween March 22 and April 5 I he presented 15 cheques • with which he got cash and i goods worth $452. [ The same month he reI ceived a second stolen cheque < [book and used 23 cheques to[ [get cash and goods to a total value of $837. j In explanation, Tate told i the police he had paid $5O; for the two cheque books in a Christchurch hotel. Compensation of $1289 was sought, said Sergeant Jones, and a further 29 charges would be laid against the defendant. Apart from the false pretence charges the defendant also pleaded guilty to four charges of forgery, one oi theft, and one of a breach of periodic detention. ASSAULT “OVER GIRL” i On the pretext of provid-[ ing a youth with cannabis,; another youth lured him out [ of a hotel on to the beach at| New Brighton, where he assaulted him, the Court was told. Graeme Paul Henry, aged 19, a labourer, was con- [ victed and remanded to June [l5 for a probation report: [and sentence. Sergeant Jones said at 2, [p.m. on May 13 the com-! : plainant was approached by [ two persons, one the defendant, in the lounge bar of a[ New Brighton Hotel and asked whether he wanted to i 'buy cannabis. 1 Later in the afternoon the two returned to the bar and asked the complainant to accompany them to the beach [ because it was “too ' crowded” in the bar for the i transaction. On the beach the defendant then “beat up” the com-

ilainant, who lost $24 m cash rom his top pocket during he assault, said Sergeant lones, and as a result he sufered cracked ribs and bruisng to his head and bodv. He was treated at hospital. When questioned, Henry ienied having been on the beach, and refused to coaperate with the police. An associate of the defendant’s found the $24, which was handed in to the police. The defendant, said Sergeant Jones, was said to be in need of psychiatric help. The assault apparently stemmed from the fact that both the comolainant and the defendant were interested in the same girl. DRUG CHARGES Two men, both charged with having cannabis for sale, were remanded in custody to June 15. No pleas were entered bv Michael Allan Britnell, aged 26, a student, and Paul John Warren, aged 25, a picture framer. The alleged offences both occurred on Wednesday in Christchurch. Bail was strongly opposed bv the police. (Before Mr N. L. Bradford) BORSTAL SENTENCE A girl charged with receiving goods to a total value of $1241 was sentenced to Borstal by the Magistrate. He told Patricia Helen McGrath, aged 17, that in view of her drug habit, and choice of companions, her present wav of life left a lot to be desired. On April 24, she was convicted of burglap'. and placed on probation and ordered to do community work. The Magistrate said he was aware that the defendant who had a drug problem, had arranged to undergo a drug withdrawal course at Princess Margaret Hospital. At the institution to which he was sending her. the de i fendent’s drug problem would be adequately provided for. The onlv difference was the degree of comfort and convenience. McGrath, a counter hand, last week admitted receiving clothing, jewellery and pot tery to a total value of $1241. The goods were taken during a burglary of Mother Hubbards, in Armagh Street on Mav 15. A member of the public who observed the burglary’ i contacted the police. She Hiad followed two persons as thev pushed a barrow loaded with stolen property to the defendant's address. The i property was found there [ when the police arrived ; Counsel (Mr C. D. Eason) said the defendant remembered little of the Incident. I She had been under the in[fluence of drugs, having [earlier that night consumed [a half bottle of sleeping tab|lets. NON-APPEARANCE Russell Edward Rollon, aged 21, unemployed, failed to appear for the taking of depositions yesterday. He faces a charge of break ing and entering the warehouse of Briscoes (N.Z.), Ltd, on May 14, and unlawfully taking a $lOOO car. ■ A bench warrant for his arrest was issued and esi treatment of the bail bond ordered.