Man stole money, vouchers

Press, 19 April 1980, Page 5

Man stole money, vouchers

A man who admitted stealing cash, cheques and petrol vouchers, to a total value of $1765, was convicted and remanded in custody to April 28 for a probation report and sentence when he appeared in the District Court yesterday before Judge Palmer. Makahuri Butler, aged 39, unemployed, admitted committing the offence on April 2. The items stolen were the property of Barrington Mall Services, Ltd. Sergeant C. G. Jones said that at 3.50 p.m. on April 2 the defendant had driven to the service station in Barrington Street. On getting out of his car he was seen to enter the office. An employee checked the office. as the defendant was driving off and found the cash register had been emptied of cash, cheques and petrol vouchers. The police were im-. mediately notified and Butler was found five minutes later still sitting in the car in a nearby street. He claimed at first that he had not stolen the money but that someone else had . FRAUD CHARGES A man charged with fraud told the police that by passing himself off as an auditor for Lion Breweries “all manner of doors were open to him.” Kenneth Bari Neal, aged 39, an unemployed barman, admitted obtaining credit by fraud amounting to $126 for accommodation with a Christchurch hotel; and obtaining $lB5 from another hotel manager by falsely representing that a<s an em-: ployee of the brewery firm he could obtain cheap liquor for him. Neal also admitted steak ing three rubber shampoo sets, valued at $lB, the property of Rubbercraft, Ltd. One charge of resisting a constable and another of assaulting the constable were denied by Neal. Sergeant Jones said the theft of the shampoo sets occurred while the defendant was employed by Rubbercraft, Ltd. The items, which had been

given away to friends, had all been recovered. " Of the fraud charges Sergeant Jones said Neal had received $lB5 to purchase liquor for one hotel manager and had incurred a debt of $126 for accommodation while staying at another. At both hotels Neal had claimed to be an auditor employed by Lion Breweries, said Sergeant Jones. Neal was not employed by the breweries and had no authority to take orders. In both cases compensation was sought. When initially spoken to by the police Neal had denied the offences and had adopted a truculent attitude. The defendant later admitted the offences and said that by passing himself off as a brewery auditor all manner of doors had been open to him, said Sergeant Jones. False representation may well open all sorts of doors but they could, also close them, said Judge Palmer in remanding Neal in custody. THEFT CHARGES Stephen Watson, aged 19, who faces nine charges of theft, was remanded on bail of $l5OO to April 24. It is alleged .that Watson stole cheques to a total value of $504, the property of his employer, Oakleys, Ltd, and to stealing plumbing materials, worth $8574, also the property of his employer. The alleged offences were said to have occurred between September last year and March, this year. No pleas were entered. DRUG CHARGES Trevor James Laird, aged 22, unemployed, was reimanded in custody without plea on three drug charges. It is alleged that Laird had possession of heroin, a class A-controlled drug, for supply, that he used heroin, and that he had possession of a needle and syringe. The offences are alleged to have taken place, on Thursday. RECEIVING ALLEGED John Tamaira, aged 26, a scaffolder, was further remanded without plea on a charge of receiving. ' Tamaira is alleged to have 'received a turntable, ampli-

fier and two speakers, to a total value of $1265, the property of Graham Michelle Rawin Harredon. The alleged offence was said to have occurred on November 16 last year. BOOKMAKING An unemployed man, who admitted a charge of bookmaking and another of driving while disqualified and of driving with an excess blood-alcohol level was remanded to May 2 for a probation report and sentence. He is Milton Joseph Turnbull, aged 34. Sergeant Jones said the defendant had been discovered by an undercover constable taking bets in Forresters Hotel between February 11 and 16. During March Turnbull, who had been disqualified in January from driving, was seen driving in Moorhouse Avenue. He was found to have a blood-alcohol ratio of 170 mg per 100 ml. JAIL TERM A man who admitted stealing goods worth $595 from a Christchurch department store was sent to prison for three months. Michael Maurice Bailey, aged 25, unemployed, had earlier admitted stealing five power drills valued at $250, and two men’s suits, valued at $345, to a total value of $595, the property of Farmers, Ltd. Last week the Judge was told that the defendant was seen taking the power drills outside and putting them in the boot of his car. When the boot was opened the drills were found along with the two men’s suits. The Judge said the defendant had shown a propensity for dishonesty which had surfaced in a consistently disturbing pattern. Between 1973 and the present time, Bailey, he said, had been convicted on nine previous occasions for theft for which on all but two occasions he had received community-based sentences. The present offences involved property of significant value and were an example of blatant shop-lift-ing. the Judge said. Counsel (Mr R. H. ; . Stringer) said his client was a

regular offender who • by now must be knocking very loudly on the doors of prison. All of Bailey’s previous offending had been of a similar nature and vvas alcoholrelated, said Mr Stringer. (Before Judge Pain) JAIL FOR ASSAULT A month’s imprisonment was imposed on two young men on a charge of assaulting another man. in Cathedral Square at 10 p.m. on April 5 last year. The defendants, ' Kevin Darryl Smith, aged 24, and David Gregg Thomas, aged 23, had both denied separate charges of assaulting Robert Francis Lindsay James. Each was represented bv Mr E. Bedo. Convicting and sentencing the defendant the Judge said the two had mounted a joint and concerted attack on Mr James. He said the assault was a serious one, in the centre of the city, and the defendants had been seen to pursue Mr James in order to assault him. Sergeant K. J. Hurndell prosecuted. ■ Two traffic officers and two police constables, who were on duty in Cathedral Square at the time, were called to give evidence. Evidence was that the defendants were seen to chase Mr James and that he tripped and was kicked by both men while on the ground. Mr James was unconscious after the attack, and was taken to hospital. No defence evidence was called but Mr Bedo submitted that it would be inherently dangerous to convict on the evidence. The case was somewhat unusual in that the complainant had not been called and could not be cross-examined on behalf of the two defendants. Their case had been prejudiced. The Judge said the failure to call Mr James was in no way fatal to the prosecution’s case. The evidence of the four witnesses clearly established the offence. He said each defendant had a propensity for. violence “of some sort or another.”