Magistrate's Court Housewife remanded on Visa card fraud charge

Press, 29 December 1979, Page 5

Magistrate's Court Housewife remanded on Visa card fraud charge

Suzanne Dawn Gray, a housewife, aged 28, was remanded without plea to January 4 on a charge of fraud, when she appeared before Mr J. S. Bisphan. S.M.. in the Magistrate's Court yesterday. It is alleged that with intent to defraud she used a Visa card in the name of V. S. Buck, a Christchurch City Councillor, at Papanui Cycles Ltd. to obtain a pecuniary advantage for herself. The offence is alleged to have aken plate on Christmas Eve. sergeant K. J. Humdell said further charges were pending. DRUG CHARGES A mechanic facing four drug charges was remanded in custody to January 4. Richard Edward Ferris, aged 29. was charged with possession of a needle and syringe, possession of a class B controlled drug methandone. for the purpose of supply. possession of a class B controlled drug, cannabis resin. and with permitting a car to be used for the purpose of the commission of an offence against the misuse of Drugs Act. The alleged offences took place on December 21. Bat! was opposed by Sergeant Humdell. February 26 was set down for the taking of depositions. RECEIVING ADMITTED An 18-year-old unemployed woman was convicted and fined $5O after pleading guilty to a charge of receiv-

ing a pair of slippers from; a flatmate on December 19. I Sergeant Hurndel! said’ when police executed a, (Search warrant r.t the de-| ■jfendant’s address they found; about half of the $5OOOl . worth of stolen property; taken from Elite Enterprises,! Ltd. on or about December! 418. The duty solicitor (Mr P B McMenamin) said the per-; son who is alleged to have 1 i committed the burglarv lived . at the same flat. The defendant had no cri-j I minai intention and her con-! > nection with the offence was of a minor nature, he said.) Mr McMenamin said the 1 ‘pair of slippers were thrown! 'ion the defendant’s bed and Ishe was told she could keep! them. The defendant only! wore the slippers for about! [3O minutes, ji Because of her minor inJvolvement and the fact that .ishe was a first offender Mr J McMenamin successfully! j! sought suppression of his iclient’s name. ’ CONVERSION OFFENCE | A clerk who admitted! J breaking into a rental carl f tirm’s premises, converting a $6OOO car. and in the process; doing damage, estimated at; < $5OOO, was convicted and re- 1 manded to January 11 for a .’probation report and sen-' fence. r The defendant, who was; granted interim suppression; ’jof his name, was allowed] bail of $750 together with a

isurety of the same amount., i He pleaded guilty to break-i 'ing and entering the Lichfield; !Street premises of Tasman! ; Rental Cars, Ltd, on DecemIber 22 and with converting a| I $6OOO car. ! Sergeant Hurndell said at 1 a.m. on December 22 the ‘defendant had ridden his! I motor-cycle to the rear of the! car firm's premises where he ;had smashed a window to ob- ; tain entry. The defendant tried three, 'vehicles which he was un-i able to start. He drove another car in such a manner !that it became jammed against a petrol pump. Another vehicle he drove] repeatedly against the glass ifront doors to get out. His; I actions were observed by a: witness who had held the! '(defendant until the police! (arrived. i Before committing the of-i i fences the defendant had' [been drinking heavily. . Sergeant Hurndell said an; 'insurance company estimate! ! placed the damage’at $5OOO. ] Counsel (Mr M. J. Gluelj (said the offending was very; [much out of character. His ;;client had never been in] ■ trouble before. When senten-l .Icing rook place he asked; I! that the considerable com-; Jpensation facing the defen-i j dant be taken into account. ! THREE MONTHS JAIL , •' A 24-year-old man who! i escaped from Addington; ‘(Prison on December 10 had' tj three months imprisonment! I (added on to his existing; t'term of 18 months.

Geoffrey Alexander Boyd. | who earlier admitted and was convicted of the offence. I had told the police he had escaped because he wanted Ito speak to a friend who had escaped from Rolleston Prison. Boyd had visited relatives i before giving himself up to ! the police. The Magistrate said, in sen- ; fencing Boyd, that the Court, in determining the sentence had to show others who might be like-minded that escaping from prison did not pay.