Men had bats and studded gloves

Press, 26 November 1980, Page 3

Men had bats and studded gloves

Four young men found in possession of offensive weapons had told the police they had intended to use them had a brawl with another gang eventuated, said Sergeant J. E. Dwyer in the District Court yesterday. Kevin John Barnes, aged 20. a labourer. Mark David Feagram, aged 19. a labourer, Rikki Edwards, aged 19, a metal polisher, and Robert George Coates, aged 20, a labourer, all admitted the of-l fence of possessing six base-i ball bats and three metalstudded gloves in Ferry | Road on November 7. i They were convicted by Judge Bisphan who fined Barnes, Feagram, and Coates $2OO each. Because Edwards was also convicted on a charge of assault, the judge remanded him on bail to December 9 for a probation report and sentence.

The worst aspect of the offence, the judge said, was that all four men were prepared to settle their differences outside the structure of the law.

Sergeant J. E. Dwyer said the police had received information about a brawl that was to take place between two gangs in Woolston Park. About 8 p.m. a police patrol found the youths sitting in a car at the park and when asked to get out the weapons were found inside.

They told the police they had gone to the park to have a fight with a rival

'gang and that had it even-, ! mated they would have been: ; prepared to use the: I weapons. I Of the assault charge Sergeant Dwyer said Edwards! had stopped a female cyclisti Jn Port Hills Road, had: ■kneed her in the right thigh.:, 'and had then twisted her! !arm. ' He had no explanation tc! [offer. , Counsel (Mr J. Wilson); said the offensive weapons ! offence had been blown outl, lof proportion by the news' i media. The defendants were not' members of any gang. The offence had arisen out ' of a dispute between one ot the defendants and a member of another group. ; This latter group had arranged a time and place for < a “meeting.” The group had not turned up but the police had, said Mr Wilson. 1 COMMUNITY WORK A girl earlier convicted on i four charges of false pretence was put on probation for 12 months and ordered to carry out 100 hours of community work. Joanne Marie Paul, aged 17, a labourer, (Dr W. G. G. A. Young) had admitted the offences which took place on August 28 and 29. Through her offending Paul had obtained money, food, liquor and goods, to a total value of $lBO. The judge said attempts had to be made to keep the

, defendant in the community.! jLittle purpose would be ach-l ■ieved by sending her back to; i prison. THEFT ALLEGED ' A wool scourer, aged 29,! charged with stealing quantities of raw wool, valued at) 83-128, was further remanded; to December 2 without plea. ! Hugh John Pavletich is al-i : leged to have committed the; ; offence between September! 11 and November 10. i Tire wool was the property of Despa and Company. ' I Pavletich (Mr G. T.l [Mahon) was allowed bail of! $lOOO with a surety of the same amount. ASSAULT CHARGE Darryl John Robert Flynn, aged 18. was remanded to December 2 without plea on a charge of assault. Flynn, it is alleged, with intent to injure, assaultyd Allan John Leversedge on November 23. He is also charged with assaulting Mr Leversedge. Bail was set at $2OOO. CHARGE DENIED A man charged with stealing six wine casks and 12 bottles of whisky, to a total value of $223, denied the alleged offence. Grant Reginald Andrews, aged 19, is alleged to have committed the offence, on November 24. He was remanded on bail to January 16 for a defended hearing. The liquor was the property of the Imperial Hotel, the defendant’s employer. DRUG OFFENCES David John Page, aged 21, a salesman (Mr W". Rosenberg) was put on probation for 18 months and ordered to carry out 75 hours of community work when he appeared for sentence on three drug offences. Earlier, Page had admitted and been convicted of possessing cannabis seeds, cultivating cannabis, and with smoking cannabis resin — a class B controlled drug. The offences occurred on November 2.