The courts $l300 hotel haul

Press, 14 June 1978, Page 4

The courts $l300 hotel haul

An unemployed man, aged 35, and a companion, burgled the Sandridge Hotel on May 30, and removed property worth $1325. The

man was convicted and remanded to June 22 for a probation report and sentence by Mr P. J. McAloon, S.M.. in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Senior-Sergeant R. A. Cook said that in the early hours of May 30 the defendant, Rodney Harry Pouaka, and- his companion drove to the Sandridge and gained entry by forcing a side window. They took four cartons of spirits, worth $5OO, and two electric guitars valued at $825, and carted them to the defendant’s flat.

The two guitars and some of the spirits had since been recovered, but compensation of $2OO was still sought. SUPPRESSION CHARGE John Richard Carpenter, aged 18, a tannery worker, was remanded without plea to June 20 on bail of $lOOO on a charge of suppressing evidence.

He is charged that while knowing that John Kelvin Keefe had committed the crime of assault with intent to injure he actively suppressed evidence. (Before Mr J. S. Bisphan, S.M.) BORSTAL FOR ESCAPER A youth, convicted of escaping from the Rolleston Detention Centre on May 29 was sentenced to Borstal.

Last week Mark Gregory Hayes, aged 18, told the police he had escaped to see his girl friend. Yesterday his counsel (Mr D. Taffs) said the escape was because Hayes had been abused at the centre by other inmates.

Mr Taffs said his client had quite often been verbally abused while in the centre and had also been hit by a fellow inmate. He had been found with a bleeding mouth by an officer, and had “spilled the beans.”

As a result Hayes now had the reputation of being a bit I of a “nark” which upset him. He said Hayes made bis I escape bid in the hope of (getting to Borstal. i The Magistrate said it ap|peared that the staff at the detention centre felt the defendant was not suitable for the type of training given there. Yet, he had to impose a sentence which would deter others from attempting to escape.

“As you were seen as someone who did not fit in to detention centre training. I propose to send you to Borstal,” he said.