Robbery ‘will not be tolerated’

Press, 11 July 1979, Page 4

Robbery ‘will not be tolerated’

"he Courts

’ Robbery was becoming so common that there was a dangerous tendency to regard it as a normal part of life and the courts had to show that it would not be tolerated, Mr Justice Roper said in the Supreme Court yesterday. His Honour sentenced Grant Hamarama Maranui, aged 25, unemployed, whom he described as having an appalling list of convictions, to nine months jail on a charge of robbing -Roger Allan White of a wallet and $6O on January 14.

Evidence was given at the trial that after the hotels closed on January 14 Mr White went to a party at a Kilmore Street address. A young woman took him by the arm and led him out to the long grass at the back of the house where he was set upon by Maranui and robbed. Mr B. M. Stanaway appeared for the Crown. Mr P. M. James, for Maranui, saici that the prisoner had a particularly sorry background. He had been virtually institutionalised since the age of 12 and by the time he was 16 he had spent two years and a half in custody. Since 1976 his probation officers had seen some improvement in his attitude and a resolve to improve his standing. With the encouragement of Maranui’s girl-1

friend and his probation officer his work record had improved and his offending rate had slowed. Maranui was only too well aware that he had reached the turning point in his life — a fact which had been emphasised to him by the probation officer. There was nothing apart from the suspicion of Mr White, who had been fairly intoxicated, that a weapon was used. Mr White had suffered no injury and had taken the matter so lightly that he had intended to do nothing about the offence and to leave the scene. Maranui had spent five months in custody. Because of the unusual features associated with the robbery which had been committed on the spur of the moment, the Court would be justified in extending leniency to Maranui, who was not a violent per, son. His victitp had been most co-operative and the only reason that a charge was laid was beca .e the police came along and almost persuaded Mr White to make a complaint, Mr James said. His Honour said that he accepted that this was not the most serious form of robbery, probably because the victim was wise enough not to show any fight. “This crime of robbery is becoming so common that (there is a dangerous ten-

dency to regard it as Just a normal part of life but it is I not and the sentences of the! Court must show that it will | not be tolerated,” his' Honour said. Maranui had an appalling list of convictions but violence did not figure too prominently in it. Both counsel and the probation officer had made a strong plea for leniency but that plea was hard to meet. A non-custbdial sentence had been suggested but that was out of the question, but he would take into account that Maranui had spent five weeks in custody, said his Honour.