Clothing damage costs

Press, 7 October 1980, Page 5

Clothing damage costs

.An employee of a city! store was found guilty by’ jjudge Pain in the District;] i' Court yesterday on charges! dof wilfully setting fire to 15 !■ • shirts, valued at $331, in aii ■| display rack in tine store on; J July 16, and wilful damage! 'to nine pairs of trousers va!-j !>ued at $784. between May 19 land Julv 16. : The defendant, who was! ■ represented by Mr C. M.| i Ruane, was remanded on: . bail to October 17 for sen-! i tence. > He was granted continued] iinterim suppression of his] I name. '

I He had denied both of-' 'fences. Sergeant G. C. Jones] !prosecuted. Prosecution and defence; evidence in the case wasj ;heard last week, and defence: ■submissions were also heard. !These submissions included; ithe admissibility, and relia-i ! bilitv as evidence, of the !defendant’s second statement ■to a detective in which he (allegedly admitted lighting : the" fire because of frustrations with his work and in Ihis social life. I He had also admitted t 0 the detective that he had 'damaged the trousers.

■ ! Medical and related probJlems had also been advanced ;in defence submissions. y Giving his decision yester- ; day the Judge held that the j-defendant’s confessions to . the detective were admisiisible. Convicting and remanding Lithe defendant on each Ji charge for a probation reiipor,', die Judge said there -]was irrationality in the < i defendant's behaviour, indicating something he might j not be entirely responsible 'for.