Houses entered for drugs

Press, 25 November 1982, Page 4

Houses entered for drugs

A drug addict who admitted unlawfully entering five Christchurch homes told the police he only picked on those where he could see the owners working in their gardens. said Detective Sergeant J. W. Lyall in the District Court yesterday. After the unlawful entry, Shane George Whittaker, aged 20. unemployed (Mr N. C. Chapman) took cash, jewellery, and other property worth more than $2OOO. Whittaker. w’ho also pleaded guilty to two charges of burglary and a further charge of cultivating cannabis, was convicted by Judge Fogarty and remanded in custody to December 1 for a probation report and sentence. Sergeant Lyall said the

largest haul by Whittaker was cash and jewellery, valued at $1550, from a house in Lyttelton Street. None of the doors at the houses unlawfully entered by Whittaker had been locked, he said. When Whittaker broke into the Somerfield Medical Centre in Barrington Street where he went looking, unsuccesfully, for drugs, a rug, valued at $3OO, was taken by the defendant. Seven days later the defendant broke into a Linwood Avenue motel unit from which he stole $7OO worth of assorted items, the property of a tourist and his family: Because of the increasing number of. burglaries being committed in Christchurch Sergeant Lyall urged the Court to impose a deterrent sentence.

FRAUD CHARGES A salesman facing 11 charges of fraud, involving $30,000, was remanded on

bail without plea to December 9.

Christopher Cliff Morris, aged 28 (Mr P. H. B. Hall) is charged with having committed the offences last month. The cheques allegedly written by Morris ranged in value from $5l to $17,000. When he first appeared last week only one charge was laid. An additional 10 were laid yesterday. In seeking the two-week remand Mr Hall said the charges would “no doubt" be defended. CHARGES DENIED Twenty charges of fraud, involving almost $2500, were denied by a radio inspector. Neil Gordon McKenzie, aged 20, who is charged with having committed the offences last month, was remanded to January 24 for a defended hearing. HOTEL ROOMS An unemployed man who admitted breaking into two rooms at the United Service Hotel from where he removed property and clothing

was seen by a witness sliding down a drainpipe, said Detective Sergeant Lyall. Guy Angus Habib, aged 23, was convicted and remanded in custody to December 8 for a probation report and sentence. Sergeant Lyall said in both cases the defendant had broken into the rooms through insecure windows from an outside fire escape. In the first burglary the stolen property was found in a nearby alley. On the second occasion Habib was seen by a witness as he climbed down the

drainpipe and was followed. The police were called and the defendant identified by the witness.

All the $650 worth of stolen property was located

except for a paua brooch, valued at $2O, said Sergeant Lyall. Habib also admitted and was convicted of burgling a shop at Clinton from where he removed $5.39c from a locked drawer, and also to a breach of probation. Before Judge Frampton 12 MONTHS JAIL A sentence other than imprisonment could not be considered the Judge told a man appearing for sentence on one charge of burglary, one of possessing instruments by night capable of being used for burglary, and a breach of periodic detention. Kieron Michael Arlow, aged 25, unemployed (Mr M. Cameron) who was earlier convicted of the offences, was sent to prison for 12 months. Arlow and an associate had burgled the premises of the Epworth Chambers on October 28. Mr Cameron said his client only committed the offence because he needed the cash.

Arlow, after four years and a half without offending, had run into an old associate in a Christchurch hotel. After discussing their mutual Jacket funds the decision was made to commit the.offence, said Mr Cameron. PROBATION

A solo mother earlier convicted of stealing a $2500 Mini car which she bought from a male friend for $l5O was put on probation for 12 months when she appeared for sentence.

The Judge said he accepted that the defendant was not a party to the actual theft of the car.

The defendant, aged 23 (Mr M. Cameron) had admitted the offence which took place on September 2.