Abduction, assault charges

Press, 4 November 1981, Page 4

Abduction, assault charges

A steel worker charged with abducting and assaulting a woman, aged 23, was remanded without plea to November 10 when he appeared before Judge Fogarty in the District Court yesterday. Victor-Stuart Clarke, aged 25, is alleged to have committed the offences on October 31. Bail was opposed by Detective Sergeant M. E. Wright. After a hearing in chambers the Judge granted Clarke bail of $2OOO. He was also ordered to report three times a week to the police and to keep away from the complainant. . The duty solicitor (Mr E. Bedo) said the alleged offence was the result of an on-going domestic situation. DEPOSITIONS A man charged with receiving a quantity of carpet, valued at $5980, elected trial by jury. Barry lan Cameron, aged 26 (Mr M. J. Glue) was remanded to December 3 for the taking of depositions. Bail of $l5OO was continued. BURGLARY CHARGES Three or four men charged with burgling the Dyers Road premises of Canterbury Steel Fabrications, Ltd, early yesterday, were remanded on

bail without plea to November 10. They are: Donald Bruce Hunt, aged 20, who is also charged with stealing cartons of wooden toys, valued at $llO, and converting a $lOOO car; Richard John Bailey, aged 18, a labourer, and Allan Francis Smith, aged 18, unemployed, who are additionally charged with unlawfully getting into the car. Sonny Matengi Hepi, aged 19, unemployed, who admitted burgling the premises of Canterbury Steel Fabrications, was convicted and remanded to November 17 for a probation report and sentence. Hepi (Mr E. Bedo) was granted bail of $750 together with two sureties of the same amount. Detective Sergeant M. E. Wright said Hepi had acted as a look-out while his alleged cp-offenders had entered the premises from where they had removed property worth $4094. The property was recovered, she said. CHARGES DENIED An unemployed masseuse and a housewife charged respectively with the theft of, and receiving, a gold engagement ring, valued at $2OOO, denied the alleged offences.

Shayanne Kim Hura, aged 21, who is charged with stealing the ring, the property of Pauline Anne Connolly, on September 17, was remanded to December 18 for a defended hearing. She was. allowed bail of $750 and ordered to report three times weekly to the police. ' Janet Brown, aged 23, the housewife, who is alleged to have received the ring from Hura on October 30 was remanded to December 21 for a defended hearing. Bail of $750 was allowed. TEN CHARGES A- labourer facing 10 charges of burglary was remanded without plea to November 10. Wi Jack King, aged 21 (Mr D. C. Fitzgibbon), who is alleged to have committed the offences between August and October, was allowed bail of $2OOO. PERIODIC DETENTION Sydney Rehuatai, aged 29, was sentenced to periodic detention for seven months after being convicted on three charges of fraud, one of theft, and two of forgery. He was also put on probation ■ for ' 12 months and ordered’ to pay compensation of $5OO. Rehuatai (Mr W. Rosenberg), described as a student of religion and a part-time

community worker, had admitted the offences.

While working at the Methodist Mission he had found a bag containing a cheque book and a bank card. In Wellington he had cashed three cheques in August and was caught when attempting to cash another. As a result of his offending Rehuatai had obtained $5OO in cash. With the. $5OO the defendant had travelled in the North Island with the antiSpringbok tour movement. The Judge said that he was perplexed about the defendant’s background and expressed doubts about whether his recent rehabilitation was genuine or not. Either way the Judge described it as a particularly mean type of offence, (Before Judge Paterson) UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY

On a charge of unalwful assembly arising from a gang brawl on August 15, and three other unconnected offences, Andrew John Morgan, aged 22, unemployed, was sentenced to six months periodic detention. The defendant was appearing for sentence on the charge of being a member of an unlawful assembly which attacked a property and its occupants in Woodham Road

on August 15; and on charges of assaulting. Constable W. J. de Lore, and obstructing him in the execution of his duty, on September 26. The same sentence applied also to a shoplifting charge to which he pleaded guilty yesterday. His counsel (Mr J. S. Fairclough) had sought a com-munity-based sentence. He said the fracas in which the defendant was involved took place amongst 25 to 30 persons and only a very small number had been arrested and charged. It might seem an injustice if the defendant was given a heavy penalty when most of the persons involved escaped scot-free. The assault and obstruction involved no more than an attempted obstruction by the defendant to prevent the constable from detaining his friend. The constable was not injured, and no injury was intended. The Judge said this type of repeated offending would normally merit imprisonment, if only to keep the defendant out of harm’s way and give the community a rest. However, there were some positive aspects in his favour, and it was hoped that with employment, a sense of maturity would emerge.