Woman cashed stolen cheques for goods, car

Press, 21 April 1979, Page 4

Woman cashed stolen cheques for goods, car

An unemployed masseuse, Heather Christine Millar, aged 24 pleaded guilty yesterday in the Magistrate’s Court, to 31 charges of stealing cheques and using them fraudulently to obtain merchandise from Christchurch shops, a rental car, and cash.

She was remanded in custody by Mr N. L. Bradford, S.M., until April 27 for sentencing and a probation report. Sergeant R. Powell said that on Sunday, March 11, a woman came back to her car in Moorhouse Avenue to find her car had been broken into, her hand-bag interferred with, and a cheque book and Visa card stolen. Millar used the credentials she took from the car to purchase goods. Restitution of $875.75 was sought. She was apprehended in Queenstown with a rental car she had obtained with the stolen cheques. Sergeant Powell said that when the defendant was apprehended in Queenstown she would not assist the police or name her co-offen-ders.

She stole another cheque book and ran up bills at various shops to the value of $1941.43. When questioned by the police about using the cheque book, she admitted writing all the cheques and said that she found the signature very easy to copy and had pre-written them before entering a shop. Counsel (Mr D. C. Fitzgibbon) applied for bail for the defendant. This was refused. ‘CONTEMPT A youth, aged 20, who appeared on nine charges relating to fraud and the unlawful taking of motor-ve-hicles, uttered two four-let-ter words to the Magistrate on being sent for remand in custody. Gregory Paul Sykes, a factory labourer, was called back before the Magistrate for contempt of court over the swearing, and was sentenced to seven days imprisonment.

He had pleaded guilty to six charges, ranging from falsely presenting cheques, obtaining car accessories and parts in Christchurch and Nelson, to unlawfully taking motor vehicles. He was remanded to April 27 in custody for sentencing. On three other charges, again pertaining to car thefts, Sykes pleaded not guilty and was remanded until June 11 for a defended hearing. Sykes’ brother, Warren Alan Sykes, a driver’s assisant, pleaded guilty to 11 charges, again relating to the stealing or unlawful taking of cars, and using cheques for fraudulent purposes after they were stolen. Counsel (Mr E. T. Hig- ! gins) applied for bail for both his clients. He said that Warren Sykes was planning to get married to a girlfriend who had had a child to him.

The Magistrate said that considering the charges bail could not be considered. Warren Sykes was remanded in custody for sentencing until April 27. CAR CONVERSION Paul Charles Gifford, aged 17, unemployed, pleaded guilty to a charge, which involved the Sykes brothers, of unlawfully taking a sports car from a city car sales yard on April 4. He pleaded not guilty to a charge of stealing another car on the same day. Gifford (Mr E. T. Higgins) was remanded to June 7 for a hearing on the not guilty plea and was remanded to April 27 for sentencing on the other charge. REMANDED A man, aged 28 was granted interim suppression of name and remanded to April 27, without plea, when he appeared on charges of indecently assaulting boys aged 14 and 15. The man also faces a charge of possessing cannabis. He was granted bail of $750 with a surety of the same amount.