Remand on assault, possession of pistol

Press, 11 February 1981, Page 4

Remand on assault, possession of pistol

I A young man who defended charges of assault, and possessing a pistol and am-| munition was convicted and remanded to February 20 tor a probation report and sen-i tence, at the District Court' in Christchurch yesterday. William Gilbert Hardaker, (Mr G. H. Nation) aged IS. a golf course workers, was charged with possessing 12 rounds of .22 ammunition, possessing a .22 calibre pistol without a per-; mit or authority and of as-1 saulting a police constable,; all on October 2. ; Constable Paul Gregory] Whitehead told Judge’ Frampton that he and another constable were called’

-ito an incident near the Bush' linn Motel on Riccarton' (Road. Hardaker was lying’ 'lon the ground; he had said ‘[that he had been hit by a’ 'i Constable Whitehead said; .[that he had been stopping a; [fight between two other: J people when he saw Hard-j aker coming toward'.; him , throwing punches. Hardaker; l had been taken to hospital; * where he was discharged. i When searched at the police’ ! station 12 rounds of ammu- [ nition had been found. . •' He had initially denied[knowing anything about a; ,i pistol found at the scene of; [the incident by Constable [Richard Thomas Crawley.; HThe bullets found on Hard-i ■ laker were similar to those! Jin the loaded pistol '

i! Hardaker had told hir .’that he “carried the bulletJ for fun” and that the gun i’was his. He had given it to i’a friend just before he had I;been hit by a car. Hardaker told the Court ■[that a friend had given him J the bullets to look after while they were at the Bush Jinn — he had forgotten all ’about them. After the accident he had tried to get ■ back on his feet but the 'Constable had pushed him !and he had failed back ’ down. He had told Constable ’Whitehead that the gun was J his because he wanted to go Ito bed. He had previously [seen the gun but it had not ibeen in hfc possession that ! night.