$25,000 store burglary at Rangiora admitted

Press, 10 February 1982, Page 5

$25,000 store burglary at Rangiora admitted

Two men. who had pleaded not guilty to the burglary of the Rangiora Supermarket on November 19. yesterday admitted the charge in the District Court.

Stephen John Rayner, aged 21, and Hatarei Kauriroa Peka. aged 30. both unemployed. pleaded guilty to the $25,000 burglary when they appeared before Judge Fogarty.

Rayner pleaded guilty to a further charge of driving while disqualified.

A third man jointly charged with the burglary. Frank Peter Jacobus Poissonnier. aged 22. a welder, pleaded not guilty. He also denied a charge of being in possession of tools, capable of being used to commit burglary, and a gasoperated pistol. Rayner and Poissonnier were represented by Mr D. C. Fitzgibbon, and Peka by Mr P. J. McMurtrie.

The police prosecutor (Sergeant G. C. Jones) told the Court that in the early hours of November 20 the Rangiora police had been notified that three men were acting suspiciously near the supermarket in "Victoria Street.

The police had gone to the supermarket and distrubed three people in the process of burgling the shop. A glass window had been broken and iron bars had been cut to enable entry to the premises.

A safe had been wrenched from the floor at the front of the shop and dragged to the back of the premises.

It was being jacked up into a position from which it could be loaded into a car when the police arrived. The police had interviewed Rayner the following day and he had admitted the offence. He said he had been drinking in a New Brighton hotel on November 18 when he had been approached by a person who said he intended to burgle the Rangiora Supermarket. Ravner had decided to ac-

company the person because he was intoxicated, said Sergeant Jones. The Judge remanded Rayner and Peka in custody until February 16 for probation reports and sentence. Poissonnier was remanded on bail until April 2 for the taking of depositions. ASSAULT “Do you know the penalties for assault have been increased'.’" the Judge asked Daniel Noble when he appeared on a charge of assaulting Kenneth James McTeague. Appearing with Noble, aged 17.. a boner, were Milton Anthony Luke, aged 21. a labourer, and Paul Rata Bush, aged 17. a labourer. They were also charged with assaulting Kenneth James McTeague. Sergeant Jones told the Court that the defendants had assaulted the complainant outside the Railway Hotel on February 3. The trio, who were not represented by counsel, pleaded guilty. Luke told the Judge from the dock that as he and his companions had walked past a group of people outside the hotel one of them had said something. One of the group pushed him. He pushed him back and a fight developed. The Judge fined Luke and Noble $7OO each and Bush $6OO. CUSTODY REMAND Joseph Governor Pahau. aged 19. a woolstore worker, was remanded in custody on a charge of robbing Boyd Napier Roberts -of a motorcycle valued at $3lOO. Depositions will be taken on March 23. Bail was refused by the Judge. RECEIVING CHARGE A handyman, aged 21. was remanded until April 8 for a defended hearing when he pleaded not guilty to a charge of receiving. CONVERSION Two youths, both aged 18. were each sentenced to corrective training and 12 months probation on three

charges of converting cars.

David John Gay, unemployed. and Rodger Samuel Searle, a labourer, had admitted taking the cars and driving them to Lyttelton on January 29.

Gay also admitted charges of theft of a battery and mat, wilful damage to one car and having in his possession a set of keys capable of being used for unlawfully taking cars The Judge imposed the same sentence on each defendant because, although Gay was facing more charges. Searle had a more serious record of past offences. FORGERY A sickness beneficiary was sentenced to six months nonresidential periodic detention and 18 months probation on 13 charges of forging a social welfare payment order involving more than $BOO. Andrew Keith Halliday, aged 22. had previously pleaded guilty to the charges which occurred over a threemonth period. He pleaded not guilty to a further charge of drving while disqualified. The payment orders had been made out to Mark Stuart Oldman who had been sent to prison in August. 1981. Oldman had been boarding at the defendant's house, said Mr N. P. Chapman. counsel for the defendant. Halliday had told police that he had cashed the orders because he needed money and he knew that Oldman was in prison at the time. The defendant was remanded on bail to April 2 for a defended hearing on the disqualified driving charge. The Judge ordered the defendant to pay $BOO compensation to the Social Welfare Department and a Cranford Street garage where 12 of the orders had been presented. FALSE PRETENCE Fines totalling $7OO were imposed on a man who admitted a charge of forging a

cheque and five charges of false pretence.

Thomas John Paul Keenahan. ' aged 26. a national park foreman supervisor, pleaded guilty to forging a cheque of $438 drawn on the account of the Canterbury Transport Engineers, Ltd, on November 21. 1980. He also admitted five charges of false pretence by which he obtained liquor, cash, groceries and tools, worth $397,. by fraudulent use of cheque from a stolen .cheque book which came into his possession. The defendant (represented by Mr P. J. McMenamin) pleaded not guilty to a further charge of stealing a car. He was remanded on bail until April 6 for a defended hearing. DISCHARGED Michael Winston Huggins, aged 17. a student, was dis-, charged without conviction when he appeared for sentence on three charges of burglary. The defendant had previously admitted breaking into the houses near his home in Vagues Road on December 26. The Judge discharged him in light of his family background and the possibility of employment overseas. /