Burglary and arson

Press, 11 August 1979, Page 4

Burglary and arson

After breaking into a supermarket and a bookshop on August 3, Stephen Michael Gill had set alight to the premises, causing damage totalling $3400, said Sergeant W. J. McCormick in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. The defendant, aged 22, unemployed, pleaded guilty to two charges of arson and one charge of burglary and was remanded in custody by Mr B. A. Palmer, S.M., to August 17 for sentence. The charges which he admitted yesterday were breaking and entering the premises of Fireside Bookshops, Buckleys Road, with intent to commit theft, wilfully setting fire to the bookshop, and wilfully setting fire to the premises of

Clarkson’s Supermarket, Linwood Avenue.

The Magistrate said the defendant’s plea on a further charge to be brought by the police, of breaking into the supermarket, would be taken on August 17. Sergeant McCormick said that at 1 a.m. on August 3 Clarkson’s Supermarket was broken into and the premises ransacked, and $l5OO worth of groceries, cigarettes, and other items The defendant was one of the intruders and sprayed lighter fluid over several grocery items and set fire to them, causing damage of $3OOO. At 1.30 a.m. that night the defendant broke into the Fireside Bookshop, from which books and pens worth

$lOO were taken. The defendant set alight to a number of books, causing damage of $4OO.

The defendant was one of a group of people found later in possession of property from these premises. Justin Peter Gemmell, aged 25, unemployed, also appeared on a charge of breaking and entering the Fireside Bookshop on the same occasion and was convicted and remanded in custody to August 17 for sentence. He pleaded guilty. A further charge, of breaking into Clarkson’s Supermarket, will be laid on August 17. Sergeant McCormick said the defendant kicked in the window of the bookshop, from which books and pens

valued at $lOO were taken. None of the property was recovered. He said the defendant admitted breaking into the premises in company with another person, but denied taking any property.

Mr J. Halls appeared for both defendants. FRAUDS ADMITTED

Peter Raymond Mclntyre, aged 37, unemployed (Mr Halls) pleaded guilty to two charges of fraud and was convicted and remanded in custody to August 17 for sentence.

He also faced two charges of receiving stolen property and elected trial by jury on these. He was remanded to August 22 for the taking of depositions. The police statement showed that the credit by fraud charges involved the defendant’s obtaining meals without payment, or by pay ing with a worthless cheque, at restaurants in Auckland and Invercargill. The receiving charges involved the alleged receiving of 12 men’s shirts valued at $277.20, and four men’s suits valued at $616. They were allegedly committed in Christchurch between May 9 and 16.