Thais convicted

Press, 31 October 1981, Page 4

Thais convicted

A court appearance lasting 65 minutes, with the aid of an interpreter, was needed to cover the facts in a case involving three Thai nationals accused of fraud and conspiracy . involving $17,000. Appearing before Judge Bradford in the District Court were: Vitoon Panprasertom. aged 25, a male, and Buntha Soombarthorn,

aged 41. and Somnuk Homhual, aged 34. both

All three, described as “Thai merchants,” were convicted and remanded in custody to November 16 for probation, reports and sentence.

They were represented by Mr N. E. Dunlop. . They all pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring in Christchurch to defraud a man of an unspecified sum of money on October 19, with obtaining $2400 in cash in Auckland on October 13 by falsely representing that five synthetic stones were diamonds, and the two women admitted a -similar fraud, involving $15,000 paid for 19 “diamonds" in Dunedin on July 27. Sergeant G. C. Jones said the three defendants describing themselves as refugees from Vietnam had sold the fake diamonds on the pretext that they needed money to get to the United States. Sergeant Jones said one of the women had approached a Dunedin restaurant owner, Edward Chinn, saying that as a refugee she needed money to get to America. • Mr Chinn bought 19 synthetic stones, in the belief they were diamonds, for $15,000 cash.

A similar approach was made to Mr Nam Yee, a Christchurch restaurant owner, but as Mr Yee knew about the Dunedin fraud he contacted the police.

They had attempted to sell him 43 fake diamonds. When reports of the “diamond” sales reached Auckland, said Sergeant Jones, David and Beverley Wong told the police that on October 13 the three defendants had sold them five “diamonds” for $2400 in cash. Mrs Panatta Glubb acted as interpreter for the hearing. WEAPON CHARGE An unemployed man charged with the unlawful possession of a dangerous weapon — a crossbow — was remanded at large to November 12. No pleas were entered byNicholas Laurence Hadler, aged 20 (Mr P. D. Lublow) who was also charged with the unlawful possession of an offensive weapon — a weighted chain. The alleged offences were said to have occurred an October 27. UNLICENSED A car wrecker, who admitted operating as an unlicensed car dealer, was convicted and fined $4OO. In addition Roydon Blair Grainger, aged 29, was ordered to forfeit $5OO of the profit he made on cars sold while unlicensed.

Sergeant Jones said the charge arose as a result of a complaint by the Licensed Motor Vehicle Dealers’ Association. He said the defendant had bought 13 cars which, alter effecting repairs, he had sold making a total profit on them of $2695. Counsel (Mr E. Bedo) said the cars which his client had bought at auction had needed repairs which he had carried out using spares and parts from his wrecking business.

He submitted that licensed dealers were usually not interested in trading in the type of vehicle handled by his client.

PERIODIC DETENTION A man who was convicted of stealing a purse and cash, valued at $l2O, from an office which, he told the police, he went to in search of a job, was sentenced to periodic detention for three months.

Wi Jack King, aged 20, unemployed, had admitted the offence which occurred on October 15. PRISON TERM

A young woman convicted on two charges of burglary, involving property worth $11,510. was sent to jail for six months.

Marlene Pepe Tango, aged 23, unemployed, had admitted burgling two premises in Christchurch from where property totalling $11,510, was taken.

Of that amount property worth $3376 had been recovered.

The Judge said that over the last six years Tango had demonstrated a propensity for crimes of theft and dishonesty. The value of the property stolen from the two burglaries was considerable.

In view of the gravity of the offending and in the interest of public safety a custodial sentence was called for, said the Judge. In addition to the prison term Tango was put on probation for 12 months and was disqualified from holding or obtaining a driver’s licence for two years. Counsel (Mr D. C. Fitzgibbon) submitted that the offences were carried out largely at the behest of the defendant’s brother — a person with a long and serious list of criminal offending, who was at present on the run from the police. On three other charges of burglary and one of receiving, for which she had been convicted, Tango was remanded in custody to November 6 to enable counsel to make an application for a rehearing.