Armed robbery charge denied

Press, 15 July 1980, Page 4

Armed robbery charge denied

A detective is due in Christchurch today with an application seeking the extradition of a man to Australia in connection with a charge of armed robbery. This was said by counsel (Mr M. J. Glue), when Christopher Raymond Field, unemployed, aged 29, appeared in the District Court yesterday before Judge Paterson. Mr Glue said the detective would have an application for Field’s extradition so that he could be taken to Australia to face a charge of armed robbery against two persons in a Sydney suburb.

Mr Glue said he had been instructed. to seek bail. The defendant, he -said denied the armed robbery charge. This application was opposed by Sergeant S. D. A. Hooper. Field was remanded in custody until today. ABDUCTION CHARGE

A young woman charged with unlawfully taking a seven-month-old girl away from her mother was remanded to Sunnyside Hospital for a psychiatric examination.

The woman,.aged 19, who was granted interim' suppression of her name, did not plead. ’ The alleged offence was said to have taken place on Sunday. It is understood the child was taken from a creche. CHARGE DENIED

A labourer, aged 24, was remanded to August 21 for a defended hearing on a charge of presenting an air rifle at a man in circumstances which would lead, the complainant to believe it was a firearm. Bail was allowed Kevin Brent Mato! who was alleged

to have committed the offence on July 4. SENTENCE COMMITTAL

Wayne Roger Eggers, aged 24, unemployed, was committed in custody to the High Court for sentence after admitting offences of possessing heroin for supply and of supplying heroin. Counsel (Mr K. N. Hampton), said the charges were to have been the subject of depositions later, but the defendant had decided to plead guilty to the charges. Eggers admitted supplying heroin — a class A controlled drug -r- on or about April 29, and of possessing heroin for supply on May 1. DISCHARGED A masseuse, aged 24, who pleaded guilty to a charge of operating an unlicensed massage parlour in Gloucester Street last month was discharged without conviction.

Jane Susan Scheele had admitted the offence which was committed between June II and 12.

Sergeant G. C. Jones said an advertisement saying the massage parlour in Gloucester Street would be commencing business had been placed in a local newspaper. He said the police were aware that no licence had been issued although an application for one had been made.

On June 11 a plain-clothes police officer had visited the establishment and bad received a full body massage for which he had paid $l5 for 30 minutes.

The defendant had performed the massage in the nude.

The next day when the same police officer returned to the premises the masseuse was busy with a client, and

another customer was waiting said Sergeant Jones. On June 20, the police executed it search warrant on the premises and Scheele had nothing to say, he said. Counsel (Mr W. G. G. A. Young), said the charge arose because of a misunderstanding by his client. As an application for a lie-! ence to operate a massage parlour was being made, and was subsequently granted. Scheele had been told she could start in business. The Judge said it was a; clear misunderstanding which j had been acknowleged by the police at the licence applica-| tion hearing which was heard i in chambers. I Accordingly he, discharged Scheele without conviction. COMMUNITY WORK Probation for 12 months and 40 hours of community work were imposed on a freelance model when' she appeared for sentence on three offences. Last week Philippa Jane' Strettell, aged 20, admitted and was convicted on charges of the theft of a jersey, valued at $4l, on April 5, having cannabis plant in her possession on March 21, and having mogodon, a prescription poison, without ! authority on March 29. '

Counsel (Mr D. IF Jones), said the theft of the jersey had been for a dare, the cannabis had been for Miss Strettell’s own use, and she had not been aware of the mogodon tablet found in her possession, which she had used to help her sleep. (Before Judge Frampton) RECEIVING OFFENCE Dance-band electronic

equipment, valued at about $l2OO, which was found in a flat occupied by Don George Edgeler, led to" his prosecution on a charge of receiving items, valued at about $l2OO, when he knew they had been stolen.

The defendant, aged 21. a mill operator (Mrs M. R. Evans), was convicted of the offence, and was remanded on bail to July 28 for sentence.

Prosecution evidence was given that the items, comprising an electric-bass guitar, ; two amplifiers, a speaker iunit. microphone, and extension cord, were stolen from their owner’s car on the night iof March 19. I The defendant, with a companion called at a music shop on May 20 with the guitar, to trade it for another. The proprietor, who had been notified of equipment having been stolen, called the police. The other items taken from the car were found in the defendant’s flat. In a statement to the police the defendant allegedly said he had bought the equipment for $260 from a man whom he had met in a hotel bar. He said it had never crossed his mind that the gear was stolen. He thought it was a good buy.

Mrs Evans submitted that there was no case to answer to the charge. The defendant had reason to believe that the cheapness of the gear was not out of the question. The Judge said the case had all the features of a receiving case. He held that the defendant' must have been well aware that there was a very strong possibility, or certainty, that the equipment was stolen.