Couple deny robbing man in motel

Press, 2 February 1982, Page 4

Couple deny robbing man in motel

A hard working high country fencing ■ contractor, who came to town for supplies and some female companionship, was robbed of $lBOO by a couple who abused his hospitality, Mr Justice Hardie Boys and a jury were told in the High Court yesterday. Pauro Waata Hohepa, aged 38, a driver, and Sandra Marie Cordner, aged 33, an unemployed Australian, have pleaded not guilty to robbing Owen Joseph Rollet on September 21, 1981. Mr N. W. Williamson appears for the Crown, Mr E. Bedo for Hohepa and Mr S. L. Kaminski for Cordner. .“Mv Williamson said that the Crown case was that Hohepa. and Cordner planned and carried but the robbery and shared in its proceeds. Hohepa, attacked Mr Rollet in a motel and took the money ’ and. -was aided by Cordner.?:; When ’ Detective Stuart Maurice . Dunn ■ interviewed Cordner. she at first denied the offehde. but: then admitted it had been “a crasy thing to do.” She admitted that she and Hohepa had committed the robbery but claimed they got only $3OO and not $lBOO. ' . „ ' Cordner made a statement in which she said: “Paul (Hohepa) and I saw the in-

vitation there and we took it. We had a talk together and we decided to roll Joe (Mr Rollet) when we got the chance. ':

“I was just as much to blame as Paul. I didn’t want any violence. I just wanted to take the money off him. “We: got a cab around to the motel. Joe invited us in and Dallas was on the television. Joe opened a bottle of white wine. We drank the wine, watched television and talked.

“When Joe lay on the bed Paul asked him for the money.” He refused twice. Mr Rollet had struggled a bit and Hohepa slapped him across the face. Hohepa told her to get going and she ran from the room. In a statement made to Detective B. R. Pearce Hohepa said that he had fallen asleep at the motel and he was awakened by Cordner and Mr Rollet struggling on the bed. She yelled out for help so he gave him “a biff” in the head. . Out in the road Cordner gave him a bundle of $2O notes. She had a wallet and he told her to throw it away.

“I didn’t know we were going there to rob him until the next day. I thought we were going to have a party. I didn’t actually take the money off him. She told me

that her father had sent her the money from Australia,” Hohepa said in the statement.

Owen Joseph Rollet, aged 52, of Ethelton Valley, North Canterbury, said that since being attacked at the motel he had. been unable to work as a fencer and was now doing market gardening. On the morning of September . 21 he came to Christchurch for supplies and cashed two cheques. Late in the afternoon he went to Forrester’s Tavern. He had more than $lBOO in his wallet and some of the money belonged to his partner. While he was playing crib Cordner came in with two Maoris, one of whom was Hohepa but he did not give that name. The other man was a shearer from the east coast of the North Island.

They drank beer for more than two hours. Hohepa and Cordner left before he did. He returned to his motel and was sitting on the bed when both accused walked in uninvited. No arrangement had been made for them to visit him at his motel but he shared a bottle of wine with them.

Hohepa went into the kitchen to make coffee and the next thing he knew he was being hit over the face. He did not see what he was hit

with but he thought it was a bottle. His nose was broken in two places and there was blood everywhere. He tried, to protect his face and was hit on the back of the neck? Although dazed he was: still conscious. During the struggle Hohepa put his hand : in his pocket and took his wallet although he tried to stop him. Later Mr Rollet said that he picked out Hohepa as hisattacker at an identification , parade at the Central Police Staion. While there Cordner had said to him: “I’m sorry, Joe, for everything that’s - happened.” ?■ Asked by Mr Williamson if * he had got his money back Mr Rollet said: “That was another thing I was going to ask. Could I have some of it back? I worked hard for that money. Fencing is hard work and I had to pay Hamish, my partner, his share of the money which was stolen.” To Mr Bedo Mr Rollet said that since the robbery he had started using a cheque book. One of the reasons he came to town was for female companionship. He denied that he had told Cordner the name of the motel where he was staying and said that she must have seen it on his motel key. (Proceeding)