Mail courier’s allegations ‘fabrication’

Press, 27 February 1980, Page 7

Mail courier’s allegations ‘fabrication’

Allegations by a Templeton Hospital driver and mail courier that the police had threatened him with violence were fabrications, Mr F. G. Paterson, S.M., said in his summing up of a defended hearing in the Magistrate’s Court at Christchurch yesterday. Jefferv Laurence Leslie Pullan, aged 52, was convicted on 11 charges of unlawfully opening mail, and charges of theft of one letter and theft of $2O from another letter. He was remanded on bail of $4OO until March 4 for a probation report and sentencing. Pullan (Mr M. J. Glue) denied opening mail and looking for money and other articles. He said that he had initially admitted opening mail to investigating detectives because he was frightened of “being beaten up with' a truncheon.”

Pullan said that when he was being questioned at the

police station Detective Sergeant R. J. Woolhouse had produced “a truncheon” saying that “the truncheon will make you tell the — truth.”

Sergeant J. J. Chadderton put it to Pullan that the first time he had seen “the truncheon” was when he got into a police vehicle to go back to Templeton Hospital — that the truncheon was actually a horse switch that was in the back of the police car. waiting to be returned to a horse trainer.

Pullan denied this. He said that the first time he had seen “the truncheon” had been in Mr Wolhouse’s office. Mr Paterson said that he was completely satisfied that there was not an element of truth in the allegations of duress, and threats of violence. They had been fabricated by the defendant whose “back was against the wall.” All the evidence pointed to Pullan being guilty of all the charges.

BORSTAL FOR GIRL

! A girl who swung from scaffolding 20m above Cathedral Square and called out to the crowd below, was sentenced to Borstal training. Caroline Louise Veldkamp, aged 17, was appearing for sentence on a charge of disorderly behaviour related to the incident, and on six other charges. They included four of tvilfully setting fire to roller hand towels in two city hotels, on October 29 and December 14; one of using obscene language in Cathedral Square on October 10; and one of depositing dangerous litter in Hereford Street on December 17.

The Magistrate told the defendant that her case had caused him some concern. “Some of these offences are in the nature of misbehaviour, but when it comes to what might seem amusing to you but is called arson in criminal law. then the pro-

jection of the community I has to be of prime concern.” I He said she was in urgent ■need of training and was not : yet able to hold employment. [“I don’t believe you now [have a lot of support from your family and they certainly don’t have a lot of control [over you.”

Some of the offending had taken place while the defendant was on bail relating: to other charges, he said. He; did not believe it realistic toi release her on probation and.! accordingly, had no option [ but to commit her for Borstal training. ARSON CHARGE

A labourer, aged 17, charg-j ed with arson was remanded' until March 11 for a psychia-i trie report.

The charge relates to an : incident during a Split Enz[ concert at the Theatre Royal: on Friday evening. [ Bail was renewed and in-1

terim suppression was extended by the Magistrate.