Pistol carried near hotel

Press, 19 August 1981, Page 4

Pistol carried near hotel

The carrying of a pistol in a hotel could give rise to a

serious situation. Judge Frampton told Riki James Taituha. aged 19. unemployed. in the District Court yesterday. Taituha had earlier pleaded guilty to the unlawful possession of a .177 air pistol in the car park of the Aranui Hotel on July 13. He was fined $250 after hearing Sergeant M. P. Caldwell appeal for the imposition of a deterrent sentence.

Sergeant Caldwell said a gang warfare situation was going on in Christchurch at present.

“There was one confrontation outside the court this morning and I attended another two, one of them quite vicious, last week.” he said. Lenient penalties did not mean a thing to elements within these gangs, said Sergeant Caldwell. ASSEMBLY CHARGES

Three unemployed men who appeared on charges of being members of an unlawful assembly in Woodham Road were remanded on bail to next week.

Grant Hamarama Maranui, aged 27, unemployed, and Andrew John Morgan, aged 22. unemployed, were remanded to August 25, while Raudie Hakopa', aged 20, unemployed, was remanded to August 21. No pleas were entered by the trio who are alleged to have been members of an

unlawful assembly intent on attacking the property and

occupants at 121 Woodham Road on July 15. GREW CANNABIS An apprentice electrician convicted of growing cannabis had told the police that he cultivated the drug because the price on the street was too high for him to buy. Kevin William Whiston, aged 21. who admitted the offence on August 8, was fined $l5O. Sergeant Caldwell said when the police searched the defendant’s flat in Richmond they found four cannabis plants in a cabinet lined with tinfoil and fitted with flourescent lights and a timer. Whiston had told the police the plants were his and that he was an occasional smoker of the drug. The judge ordered the forfeiture to the Crown of the equipment used in the cultivation of the cannabis plants. DEFERRED SENTENCE

A solo mother, aged 25,’ convicted earlier of receiving a variety of items, valued at $ll6, was given a 12 months deferred sentence

with she appeared for sen-

tence. The woman; who was granted final suppression of her name, had waited outside a large Christchurch department store while her children went inside and brought out to her an electric iron, two dolls, a calculator, a •walkie-talkie radio, ’ toy binoculars and a book.

As they were leaving the store after a second forav

the . children were ap-. prehended. the Judge told the defendant it was extremely unfortunate that being entrusted with- such pecocious children had landed her in her present predicament. THEFT CHARGE

A solo mother charged with stealing household items, to a total value of $1435, was remanded on bail to August 25jy>fe' ■■ Pauline Louise Sinclair, aged 25, (Mr K. J. Grave) is alleged to have taken the property from a house in Riselaw Street on June 30.

No plea was entered. BURGLARY

Mathew Winiata, aged 26, convicted on a charge of burgling a house in Barbadoes Street from where property valued at $lB2O was taken, was remanded in custody to August 25 for a probation report and sentence. ' ■

Winiata, who admitted the offence on July 28. had en : tered the house through a bathroom window, said Sergeant K. T. Boyle.

■ Property worth $1660 had been recovered.

Sergeant Boyle said Winiata had later been identified as a person who had been trying to sell some of the stolen property. In explanation, the defendant had told the police that he wanted to get some money and decided to burgle a house just round the corner.

To an application for bail by Mr K. -J. Grave, the Judge replied that there was no question of it being granted. ASSAULT CHARGE No plea was entered by a man, aged 25, who appeared on a charge of assaulting a child, aged five weeks. Frank Robert Smith, unemployed, is alleged to have committed the offence on Monday. An application for bail was refused and the defendant was remanded, in custody until tomorrow.

Bail was not . opposed by Sergeant" Boyle who said inquiries regarding the alleged assault had not been, completed.