Squash racket count brings $600 fine

Press, 29 August 1980, Page 8

Squash racket count brings $600 fine

1 A man earlier convicted ’ on a charge of receiving 24 squash rackets, to a total value of $960, was fined $6OO when he appeared for sentence before Judge Bradford in the District Court yesterday. The Judge granted final suppression of the defendant’s name, saying he accepted that he was a devoted family man and a hard worker. In view of the defendant’s good financial position the Judge said there was absolutely no reason for him to have offended. However, in imposing the fine, the Court must ensure that nobody benefited from dishonest activities, he said. Last week the defendant admitted receiving the property of Anglian Sales, Ltd, on or about July 2. At that, time the prosecution said a number of cartons of the rackets had been stolen from Lyttelton. , Police - inquiries revealed that some of the rackets had been sold to a squash club. The defendant said he had received a carton of the rackets from a person who had stolen them. He was to sell them for $l5 each, in return he was allowed to keep two of them. He had sold some at a working men’s club. < Counsel (Mr D. J. Boyle) said that when . first ap- . proached the defendant , thought he was being asked , to sell one racket, not a car- ( ton of them. < His client was a first offender,- a good worker, and a i devoted family man. i MURDER CHARGE, < ’ Robert Joseph Puhirere, " aged 28, unemployed, wash

remanded in custody to October 6, for the taking ©f depositions on a charge of murder. ■ Puhirere (Mr D. I. Jones) Is alleged to have murdered William Thomas Dilks, aged 61, on or about August 6. He is also accused of robbing Mr Dilks of $525, and of converting his $l5OO car. No pleas were entered by the defendant. : . Mr Jones said three days had been set aside for the depositions hearing which will be before a Judge. i, THEFT CHARGES j A housewife, aged 50, who appeared on five charges of theft as a servant was remanded without plea to September 11. The woman, who was granted interim suppression of her name, is alleged to have stolen sums of money, totalling more than $l5OO, from her employer. The alleged offences are said to have been committed between April and July this year. Before (Judge Ryan.) 2 CHARGE DISMISSED * A charge against Rochford ‘Hill, aged 22, unemployed, of wilfully setting fire to *a flat in Gloucester Street on or about April 15, was dismissed for want of prosecution. The prosecutor, (Sergeant A. R. Bleakley) said that because of the unavailability of witnesses the police could offer no evidence in the case. The defendant had pleaded not guilty, and the charge was to have been defended yesterday. . . * Mr Rz S. Simes- appeared f-w the defendant.