Bank robbers remanded

Press, 31 October 1981, Page 6

Bank robbers remanded

PA Auckland Two men were committed to the High Court for sentence after having pleaded guilty yesterday to the aggravated robbery of a branch of the Auckland Savings Bank at Green Lane on October 23..

They are Errol Dean Clarkson, .aged 24, a fork-lift driver, of Meadowbank, and John Kevin Jubb,* aged 22, a groundsman, of Remuera, who appeared before Judge Gilliand in the District Court at Auckland. . Clarkson and Jubb also pleaded guilty to two charges of stealing motorcycles and Jubb admitted a further charge of burglary. They were remanded in custody to November 6 to the High Court for a probation officer’s report and sentence.

Police Sergeant W. Brown told the Court that on the night of September 10 Jubb had broken into the premises of a Mount Roskill golf club. Sergeant Brown said that property valued at $998 had been stolen from the premises, including a singlebarrel shotgun. Jubb had shortened the barrel by about two feet. _ -

During the night of October 19 the defendants had stolen two motor-cycles from Mount Eden. Jubb had changed the registration plates on one of the machines.

On October 23 the defendants had ridden on one of the motor-cycles to the bank at 9.30 a.m. and had entered the premises.

Clarkson had produced the shotgun from his coat, had pointed it at the ceiling, and had told the staff and customers not to move. Jubb

had jumped over the counter and had asked a woman employee where the cash was. She had indicated some drawers and Jubb had put money from some of the drawers into a bag. The total amount stolen had been $5787. After the defendants had left the bank thej’ had discarded the shotgun, which had not been recovered. They had hid the motor-cycle and clothing in bushes and had made off in a car. Later the' defendants had brought two motor-cycles for $5lOO. One was on hire-pur-chase. They had intended to ride the machines to a “convention” in Wellington. The police had stopped the defendant’s 'at Taupo. The defendants had subsequently told the police that they had committed the robbery because they had had no money to pay debts or to buy the motor-cycles. .