Liquor, violence warning

Press, 29 August 1980, Page 8

Liquor, violence warning

A youth was warned in the High Court yesterday by Mr Justice Roper that unless he mastered his violent nature and restricted his drinking he would be before the court on a serious charge involving death or ' serious injury. His Honour sentenced Robert Alexander Lawrie, aged

19, a prison inmate, to six months imprisonment to be served concurrently with his present term, on charges of assualting Michael Wilton Blair, and having possession of an offensive weapon, a knife; in Colombo Street. Evidence was given at Lawrie’s trial that he had assaulted Mr Blair, the man-

[ager of Adam’s Apple Night (Club, on November 21 after he and a companion had been refused admittance because of their dress. When apprehended by.the police in Colombo Street Lawrie had a knife.

Mr S. M. Wilson, for Lawrie, said that he faced a total of five charges arising from what was a drunken escapade. Three of the charges; were to be dealt with in the District Court.

It was not a serious assault and it was the manager who had hit Lawrie with a piece of wood as he was retreating out the door. He was serving a sentence for reckless driving, driving while disqualified and refusing to give a blood specimen and was due for release on September 8. 1 Lawrie had a problem with alcohol which aggravated his short temper. He was in danger of becoming institutionalised because as soon as he was released he returned to alcohol and reoffended. His girl-friend had been a steadying influence’ on him, said Mr Wilson. His Honour said that violence and being in possession of offensive weapons was a feature of Lawrie’s list and, in fact, he had been released from Borstal five days before he committed! these offences. He had been!

i sent to Borstal for being in possession of an offensive weapon, assault and wilful damage among other things.

“Unless you master your violent nature and restrict your drinking, I foresee that you are going to be before this court one day on a really serious charge involving death -or ver Y serious injury to someone,” his Honour said. , . “This was a disgraceful episode, but for all that I don’t regard it as really appropriate that you should now be facing five charges arising from it — two of assault, one of carrying an of* fensive weapon, one of wilful damage and one of obstructing the police,” said his Honour.

He was concerned with only two of those charges and,if he were making submissions on Lawrie’s behalf in the District Court he would say that it would be inappropriate for him to receive any additional punishment to that imposed in the High Court. While he bore in mind that no-one was injured he did not regard periodic detention as being appropriate. Lawrie would be sentenced to six months imprisonment, to be served concurrently With his present term and there would be an order for : confiscation of the knife, said his Honour. .