Probation given woman who set fire to house

Press, 28 August 1980, Page 5

Probation given woman who set fire to house

A woman, aged 18, who. after an argument with her boyfriend, set fire to his house, causing damage estimated at $3OOO, was placed on probation for 18 months and ordered to carry out 15C hours of community work when she appeared for sentence before Judge Bradford in the District Court yesterday.

In addition, the woman, Nicola Jane Browne, an escort, was told to take treatment for her involvement with alcohol.

Counsel (Mr D. H. Stringer) said the defendant and the complainant lived opposite each other in Whittington Street. Theirs had been an “onoff” relationship over a period of time. On the night of the offence, on August 5, the couple had made love in front on the fire and afterwards the complainant had told her that their relationshin was over.

■ After an argument the boyfriend’s parting remark had been to the effect:

“Don’t burn the house down,” said Mr Stringer. At the time Browne’s emotions were in a bad state.

Last week, after Browne admitted the offence, the police prosecutor had said a fire had been started among freshly-laundered clothes bn a chair in the lounge and had extended to a wall before being extinguished.

A similar attempt to start a fire in a bedroom had failed.

Mr Stringer said yesterday there had been no danger to life; the defendant had even removed her three pet cats from the premises. As to the estimated S3OOC worth of damages for which compensation was sought, this was not agreed to, said Mr Stringer. At first glance, said the Judge, the appropriate sentence was Borstal training. However, he took into consideration counsel’s submissions.

The Judge made no order about compensation for

which there was a civil remedy. FORGERY CHARGES Judith Elizabeth Miers, aged 20, unemployed, was remanded at large without pleas to September 3 on three charges of forgery and one of fraud. It is alleged that Miers (Mr P. J. Rutledge) forged three Social Security sickness benefit incapacity-for-work certificates purporting that they had been signed by a Christchurch doctor. These alleged offences occurred on April 23, May 19, and June 13. On January 25 Miers, it is alleged, with intent to defraud, used a document tc obtain a pecuniary advantage for herself. ■ TV. SET THEFT Two men who after stealing a colour television set from a Hanmer Springs motel and later hid it in long grass after their vehicle was in an accident, were each fined $3OO and each was also ordered to pay compensation of $177.

John Anthony Skinner, aged 23, a printer, and Garth William Pidgeon, also 23, a timber grader, were also disqualified from holding or obtaining a driver’s licence for six months.

Counsel (Mr D. J. R. Holderriess) said both defendants had been drinking that day and had driven to Hanmer Springs where they had consumed more liquor. They had seen the television set in a motel and on the spur of the moment had decided to take it.

Mr Holderness submitted that the judgment of both men had been affected by the amount of alcohol they had consumed. Last week the Court heard that on their journey back to Christchurch their car was involved in an accident and the set was taken out of the boot and hidden in long grass where it was recovered by the police. Compensation of $350, in respect of damage to the set, had been sought.