Woman imprisoned

Press, 11 July 1979, Page 4

Woman imprisoned

An unemployed Canadian woman convicted on six charges of false pretence, involving $3BO, was sent to prison for six months when she appeared for sentence before Mr D. B. Pain, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Last week Shirley Muriel Jack, aged 21, admitted the [offences which occurred between October and December last year. The Magistrate had been told that the defendant had removed six cheques and [butts from the cheque book of the complainant with whom at the time she had beei. living. She had later cashed three cheques.

Counsel (Mr G. H. Nation) said the defendant was a capable, intelligent person with the potential to lead a useful role in the community. He said his client had slipped into her recent offending almost unconsciously. What made it a little bit unusual, he said, was that the cheques were take from a friend. The defendant was sorry for what had happened and had already’ paid $6O back to the complainant, Mr Nation said.

The Magistrate said the defendant’s criminal offending bad already taken her through the range of available penalties to which she had not responded. The latest offences were deliberate, planned frauds, involving a total, of $3BO, which were committed ‘over a period of. six weeks, he said. The Magistrate said that after the jail term the defendant would be released on probation for 12 months. THREAT OFFENCE Annoyed with reference to h past criminal history by the complainant an unemployed man, aged 22, threatened to kill him, said Sergeant J. T. McCormick. Neil William Newton admitted the offence 'which occurred on Monday afternoon. He was convicted and fined $lOO. Sergeant McCormick said the complainant had been working on a block of flats when the defendant had walked on to the site to look around. The complainant had asked Newton to leave with the result that a heated argument had developed in which reference had been made to Newton’s past criminal history. It was then that Newton had threatened to kill the complainant. Newton had left the site only to reappear later with an air rifle partly concealed in a sheep-skin rug.

The complainant who saw part of the rifle left the site and reported the matter to the police. When apprehended the defendant had admitted threatening the complainant because he had been abused for his past offending.

The rifle had not been loaded. ASSAULT WITH STAKE

A man, aged 31, who had stolen a young woman’s hand-bag struck her about the head with a stake to stop her from pursuing him, the Magistrate was told.

Michael Roland Poharama, unemployed, admitted and was convicted on a charge of assaulting the woman, and of stealing her hand-bag and its contents, to a total value of $llO, from her King Street flat.

Both offences took place on June 14. The defendant was remanded in custody to July 17 for a probation report and sentence.

Sergeant K. J. Hurndell said on the night of the offence the complainant was sitting in the lounge of her King Street flat with a female flat-mate.

Fluorescent lighting had been installed and the interior was lined with silver paper. At about 10.15 p.m, she had looked up to see the defendant standing in the kitchen. She had screamed whereupon the defendant had grabbed the complainant’s hand-bag which had been in the kitchen. The defendant had then run off towards Colombo Street, pursued by the complainant. As he ran along he rummaged through the hand-bag. The defendant had picked up a lin-round garden stakei with which he had struck the complainant about the head and face. At this onslaught the complainant had fallen to the ground and the defendant had made good his escape. The complainant had suffered cuts and bruising and had to have stitches to her top and lower lips. She was treated at hospital before being discharged. All the property was recovered, said Sergeant Hurndell.

FALSE PRETENCE A man, aged 20, convicted on three charges of false pretence and one of cultivating cannabis, was remanded on bail to July 17 for a probation report and sentence. Paul McGregor Tuffery, unemployed, admitted the offences. Sergeant Hurndell said on July 2, police had visited the defendants address where they had found eight cannabis plants growing in containers in a cupboard.

The defendant had admitted growing the plants from seeds he had been given some months earlier. Tuffery had said he intended to process the plants for his own use.

During the same search, said Sergeant Hurndell, police had also found a blank cheque book and a signed bank card. Using the cheque book and the bank card Tuffery had made three purchases — a digital watch valued at $l2O, another watch valued at $l5O, and a $2OO stereo radio cassette player. Sergeant Hurndell said the defendant had told the police that he had paid $2O for the cheque book.

Recently Tuffery had been involved in an accident and needed money to pay for repairs to his motor-cycle.

An order for the return of all the recovered property was made and granted.

$lOOO BAIL Bail was set at $lOOO when an unemployed man appeared on one charge of possessing a needle and syringe and another of receiving. John Breen, aged 21, is charged with receiving property and assorted stereo equipment to a total value of $764 on or about July 3; and with possession of the needle and syringe on July 6. No pleas were entered. Breen was remanded to July 17. RECEIVING CHARGE A shop manager charged with receiving a $l3OO car has denied the offence. Edward Nigel Sullivan, aged 47, is alleged to have received the car from John Taipara between January 6 (and July 3. He was remanded on bail to September 3 for a defended hearing.