The courts Man jailed for benefit offence

Press, 23 October 1980, Page 5

The courts

Man jailed for benefit offence

A 26-year-old married man who obtained $7823 from the Social Welfare Department while working in a health! studio was sent to prison’ for four months when he appeared for . sentence before Judge Fraser in the; District Court yesterday. I Phillip Graeme Robinson! had earlier admitted mis-) leading the department on a) change in his circumstances; in order to continue receiv-j ing a sickness benefit be-i tween October, 1978 and; March this year. Counsel (Mr D. J. R.! Holderness) said Robinson i had been injured at work in August two years ago. He had been granted a benefit of $BO a week with which to keep himself, his wife and child.

After paying hire-purchase commitments and rent the family only had $27 left, said Mr Holderness. Robinson had obtained a full-time job at the Health Studios' after what had started as a part-time job of three months.

There had been no personal spending or spending on luxury items by the defendant.

All the money he had received from the benefit had been spent on family necessities, said Mr Holderness. His client was willing to repay the department.

Judge Fraser said the magnitude of the offending over several months made it inevitable that a prison sentence be imposed. $2OOO BAIL

Samuel Frederick Takimoana, aged 18, unemployed, charged wtih the attempted burglary of a High Street jewellers, was remanded without plea to October 29. Bail was set at $lOOO with a surety of the same amount. . ’

Takimoana, a scrub cutter, is charged with the attempted burglary of Kennett’s Jewellers early yesterday. He is also charged with converting a $7OO car. Also facing the same two charges is Mark- Paul Hoo-

Iper, aged 20, unemployed. Hooper faces an additional charge of driving while disqualified. Hooper did not appear in I the dock. The dutv solicitor ■(Mr D. J. Taffs)' said the ■ defendant had collapsed in ■ the holding cells and had to ;be taken to hospital. ■ Hooper, who appeared in ) Court late in the day, was i I remanded on bail of $1000,; I with a surety of the same'! ■ amount, to October 29. I He did not plead to the ■ charge. i In the case of both defendants bail was opposed by Sergeant Dwyer. FOUR CHARGES A youth facing three charges of burglary and one of wilful damage was remanded without plea to October 28. Bart Jade Phillipson. aged! .18, unemployed, was allowed! bail of $l5OO. It- is alleged that he| ■burgled two houses, one at! Pines Beach the other at! Kairaki Beach, and a flat ini Worcester Street. He is also charged with; wilfully damaging a Kaiapoi. house to the value of $1250. I ' 13 OFFENCES | ;! A man who admitted Kiji charges of fraud, forgery/ and theft involving $13,000 was convicted and remanded in custody, to October 29 for a -probation report and sentence, . Epi, John Marin.o, aged, 23, unempjoyedj was said by Sergeant ' J. E‘. Dwyer, to. have used a false name when he opened a bank account into which .he deposited stolen cheques. By manipulating the account to show a credit balance of almost $13,000, he ‘then proceeded to make withdrawals. Through the use of this account Marino fraudulently obtained $1475 and compensation for this amount was sought, said Sergeant Dwver. Marino freely admitted his

(offences saying he found it ('easy to commit the frauds ito obtain money, said Ser- ■ geant Dwyer. : CUSTODY ; Sally Herangi Rei, aged: ;20, unemployed, the Porirua! ' woman who appeared in; 'court on Tuesday charged! ! with receiving $7OO — part i proceeds, of the armed rob- ■ bery of the Manurewa South (Post Office last Friday — ' was yesterday afternoon ’charged with unlawfully getting into a car in Wellington on October 2. When Rei appeared on Tuesday she was granted self bail of $5OO, but yesterday afternoon bail was opposed by Sergeant C. J. Cole. He sought the remand in custody to the court at Otahuhu but this was declined in the meantime. (Before Judge Paterson) CRAYFISH COST $5OO Fines totalling $5OO were; imposed on each of two men) who admitted charges in-; volving the taking of cray-j fish, in contravention of pro-; visions of the Rock Lobster! Regulations. The defendants were John 1 William Plows, aged 34, aj screen printer, and Neville; Hemmings, aged 36, a spray painter. 1 Each was fined $2OO on a; charge of being associated! with the other in taking 127; rock lobsters in a day (the! maximum, permitted is 12) at Lvttelton on July 10. ; The defendants were also fined $3OO each for having in their possession 98 female rock lobsters from which external eggs had been removed artificially.

, The Judge said a deterrent > penalty was called for. Mr M. ,C. Carruthers ; prosecuted for the Ministry ■ of Agriculture and Fisheries. ■ Mr D. H. Stringer appeared for Hemmings and Mr P. G. Benseman fo'r Plows. Both defendants admitted the of- ; fences.