Community work for threat

Press, 17 August 1979, Page 5

Community work for threat

A man who threatened to kill a policeman after his wife had been escorted from the family home at her own request after a domestic incident was released on probation for 12 months and ordered to carry out 100 hours of community work when he appeared for sentence in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. “If this sort of behaviour is the outcome of your drinking then you shouldn’t drink,” Mr P. J. McAloon, S.M., told Christopher Lawrence Wanhalla. It was a disgusting performance which did no credit to the defendant, said the Magistrate. Last week Wanhalla, aged 23, pleaded guilty and was convicted on a charge of threatening to kill a constable, Stephen Joseph Hughes. Counsel (Mr D. I. Jones) said although his client had made the threat he did not have the means to carry it out. “It was simply a drunken idle threat,” he said. Mr Jones said his client and his wife had got over the domestic dispute and were back together again. Prior to the dispute his

client who that day had started work at 4 a.m. had during the afternoon gone with a friend for a few drinks. SIX MONTHS JAIL “It is an absolute disgrace that you appear for sentence following conviction on five charges of driving while disqualified,” the Magistrate told John Frederick Pragnell, aged 23, unemployed. The Magistrate said he was left with the firm impression that the defendant was prepared to treat orders of the Court with “complete contempt.” Pragnell, he said, was convicted of two similar offences in 1974, and one in November, 1978. Bearing in mind the present number of offences set against the backdrop of the previous ones the Magistrate sent the defendant to prison for six months. He was disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving licence for 18 months. . 17 CHARGES Jonathan William Tate, aged 19, unemployed, elected trial by jury when he appeared on 17 charges. Tate faced 16 charges of fraud and one charge of converting a motor-cycle. On the fraud charges he is

alleged to have cashed valueless cheques, totalling more than $l2BO, between May and July. He was remanded to September 11 for the taking of depositions. FORGERY CHARGES Robert John Cuddy, aged 31, was remanded in custody without plea to August 23. He is alleged to have committed seven forgery offences involving $615, between May and July. The alleged offences were said to have been committed at Blenheim, Dunedin and Kaikoura. Bail was opposed by Sergeant R. H. Prouting. $6OO FINE A fine of $6OO was imposed on a dairy hand, aged 20, who appeared for sentence on two traffic charges. Owen Trevor Davidson last week admitted and was convicted on a charge of causing bodily injury to John Stuart Hay by carelessly using a car while under the influence of drink or drug, and of driving while disqualified. Both offences were said to have occurred on May 15. As a disqualified" driver the defendant had no business to be behind the wheel of a motor car, especially after his own admission of having earlier drunk four or

five jugs of beer, said [the Magistrate. “You went through a red traffic light resulting in a collision between your vehicle and that of an innocent driver who had the green light in his favour.” The Magistrate said the result had been tragic for both men as each suffered injury and the cars were written off. The Magistrate said he appreciated that the defendant had suffered physically and would no doubt suffer financially as a result of pending civil claims. On the charge of causing bodily injury he fined Davidson $4OO, and for driving while disqualified, a $2OO fine was imposed. In addition the defendant was disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving licence for 18 months.