Theft from employer

Press, 4 August 1981, Page 4

Theft from employer

A man. aged 36, who admitted stealing $713 from his employer, told the police that he did so because he was not satisfied with his wages and the long hours he had to work, said Detective Sergeant J. A. Ell in the District Court yesterday. The defendant, who admitted the offence which took place between January 7 and July 7. was convicted by Judge Bisphan and remanded on bail of $750 to August 14 for a probation report and sentence.

■ Sergeant Ell said that on July 7 the firm’s managing director observed the defendant working in the retail shop, serving a customer whom he knew.

On checking later the director found no evidence of the transactions but a sale docket for $3B was found in the waste-paper basket. The matter was put into the hands of the police and when questioned the defendant admitted having taken money from the shop cash register on about 27 occasions.

Sergeant Ell said the defendant had been employed by the firm for five years. Compensation of $675 was sought.

Counsel (Mr G. T. Mahon), who successfully applied for the interim suppression of his client's name, said sufficient funds had been paid into his trust account to pay compensation in full. DRUG CHARGES Dallas Richard Arthur, aged 26, unemployed, was remanded .to August 10 without plea on a charge of possessing cannabis seeds on August 2.

Bail was opposed by Sergeant Ell who said the defendant had a problem with narcotics. Arthur was granted bail of $l5OO and was ordered to report daily to the police. ARSON CHARGE A man facing a charge of wilfully setting fire to the toilets in the Canterbury Public Library on July 17 denied the alleged offence. The defendant, who was granted interim suppression of his name, was remanded in custody to September 17 for a defended hearing. $2OOO BAIL A man charged with driving while disqualified on two occasions and with burgling a house in Withells Road was remanded without plea to August 10. . -

Neil Grenville Running, aged 22. a part-time gardener. is alleged to have committed the burglary on July 31.

The alleged driving offences took place on June 9 and August 1. Bail was set at $l,OOO together with a surety of the same amount.

In addition Running was ordered to report daily to the police.

FATALITY OFFENCE

A customs officer convicted of causing the death of Darryl Wayne Matthews while driving with an excess blood-alcohol level was sen? tenced to carry out 75 hours of community service. In addition Allan Thomas Boucher, aged 19, who admitted the offence, which took place on Harewood Road on February -27, was put on

probation for 12 months and disqualified from holding or obtaining a driver's licence for 18 months. Earlier. Boucher (Mr G. E. Langham) had told the police that a Bavarian evening had contributed to the fatal accident.

COMMUNITY SERVICE A student earlier convicted of stealing a $3OOO motorcycle was sentenced to 60 hours of community work.

This type of offending was rife in Christchurch at present. the Judge told Miles Laurence Sinclair, aged 17. who had admitted offending because he liked riding motor-cycles. The motor-cycle had been stolen from the car park of the Christchurch Polytechnic. It had later been driven to the Waimakariri riverbed where.it had been dismantled. The motor-cycle had been recovered but its value was only $2OOO, the police prosecutor had earlier told the Judge. As well as community service. Sinclair was disqualified from holding a driver's licence for six months. He was also put on probation for 12 months.

Interim suppression of the defendant’s name was lifted by the Judge.

THEFT ALLEGED

A man charged with stealing $l5OO in cash, the property of Peter McManus and others, was remanded on ba ; l of $l5OO to August 10. No plea was entered by Barry Phillip Karet, aged 32. unemployed. The alleged offence was said to have taken place on April 26 at Auckland'.