$11,000 stolen in series of burglaries, thefts

Press, 10 March 1982, Page 4

$11,000 stolen in series of burglaries, thefts

A man convicted on two charges of burglary and two of theft, involving more than $ll,OOO worth of property, was remanded in custody to March 16 for a probation report and sentence when he appeared before Judge Bradford in the District Court yesterday. Wayne Thomas Rodger, aged 20, unemployed, had admitted the four offences which took place during the last two months. Detective Sergeant C. A. MacLeod said the defendant, after stealing six concrete garden ornaments, valued at $192, had later dumped.five of them in the Waimakariri River. . Another ornament which was dumped in another river, was recovered. Compensation of $ll5 was sought in respect. of this theft. ■ . ' , A radio cassette. and a calculator, to a total value of $358, were stolen by Rodger from a car in a garage on February 2. The radio cassette was later sold by the defendant for $lO which he used to buy a drug, said Sergeant MacLeo'd. Compensation ■ of $338 for the loss of the stereo cassette was sought. On January 30, the Buckleys Road premises of Paul Dalhunty, Ltd, was burgled from where two video cassettes and a stereo system, to a total value of $4600, were removed. Rodger threw the stereo from a car soon after learning that the police were checking his accomplices’ premises. Compensation of $2340 was sought.

About 5 a.m. on February 20 the Ashburton premises of Noel Leeming, Ltd, were burgled and three video cassettes, valued at $6285, were stolen. Only one unit, valued at $1495, was recovered in the possession of an associate of the defendant who was attempting to sell it. Sergeant MacLeod said $1596 was sought in compensation, this being one-third the value of the unrecovered property. CHARGES DENIED A man denied one charge of entering a building in Euston Street with intent to commit a crime, and another of unlawfully wearing a face mask by night. Barry Leonard Taylor, aged 41, a labourer, was remanded on bail to April 26 for a defended hearing. The offence is alleged to have taken place on Saturday. COMMUNITY SERVICE A Post Office supervisor who was earlier convicted’of two charges of theft by misappropriation from the P. 0.5.8. AIL Stars Association Football Club while he was its secretary-treasurer, was sentenced to 50 hours of community service on each charge, when he appeared for sentence. The defendant was Colin Pounder, aged 34, (Mr D. J. Taffs). The offences were committed on July 27 and September 30 when the defendant drew cheques for sums of $lO2O and $4OO from the football club’s account, for his own use. The money was repaid by

the defendant after he had been charged with the offences. The Judge declined a request from Mr Taffs that the defendant be discharged without conviction. He said discharges without • conviction would be inappropriate for the offences. The defendant was not fit for periodic detention and the case did not warrant a prison sentence, he said, when imposing the community service terms. (Before Judge Fraser) DRUGS OFFENCE A woman who was an admitted cannabis smoker but who denied at her trial having cannabis for sale or supply, was fined $2OO and placed on probation for a year. The defendant, Linda Margaret McNish, aged 28, a domestic purposes beneficiary, was appearing for sentence after having been found guilty by a jury, at her trial late last month, of possessing cannabis for sale or supply on November 9 last year. ■ At her trial, prosecution evidence had been that the police found in a search of the defendant’s bedroom, a quantity of cannabis leaf and 43 foil wrapped bullets. There was also a sum of $3OO in $lO notes.. The total weight of cannabis was 35.2 grams. The defendant denied having the cannabis for sale orv~ supply and said it was for her own use. She said the money was part of the proceeds from the sale of her car. The defendant said in evi-

dence she has smoked cannabis for 13 years, and had purchased a supply for her birthday,- and for Christmas. She said she did not believe that smoking cannabis should be a criminal offence. Her counsel (Mr D. I. Jones) submitted that the amount of cannabis she had was only a very small quantity, 7.2 grams, above the 28 grams at which a defendant is presumed in law, to be in possession of this drug for sale or supply to others. The police had not challenged her evidence that she paid $lO each for the bullets, and this was said by the police to be about the current market price. This ' indicated that there was no evidence of a sale as such. Mr Jones said it was reasonable to presume that the jury had found the defendant guilty of possession for plyAlthough she openly admitted having smoked cannabis for many years, this had not affected her life or the upbringing of her child. It had not affected the public interest. Mr Jones submitted the, case was hot one for the’ imposition of a severe penalty. He suggested a suspended sentence, and ternr on probation/ The Judge said the amount of cannabis involved was relatively small. The offence did not call ' for a prison sentence. Probably the most serious consequence for the defendant of her conviction would be that any future. similar offending would be very likely met by imprisonment.-