Prison term for threat

Press, 25 November 1982, Page 4

Prison term for threat

Greymouth reporter

A term of six months jail was imposed by Judge McAloon in the District Court at Greymouth yesterday on a Franz Josef man who had threatened to beat the Whataroa policeman “to pieces.”

Paul Raymond Brown, aged 20. a fencing labourer, who appeared for sentence on charges of assaulting Constable M. J. Breeze at Franz Josef on October 24. and to possessing an offensive weapon, reversed a previous plea of not guilty to behaving in a threatening manner to the policeman.

Mr S. J. Hembrow said that the defendant maintained that he had no inten-

tion of striking the policeman, although admitting he had picked up a fence paling. The defendant, said counsel, had said “things in the'heat of the moment.” The Judge referred him to a statement that the defendant had said “I’ve always wanted to beat a policeman to pieces and now is my chance.” “I regard this case as particularly serious,” said the Judge. “It was made against a policeman in a sole charge situation — a man who was virtually on his own. “It is absolutely reprehensible that it should have occurred to an officer who was also your probation officer in that area.

“You . spoke to the constable, then abused him, and then went some distance to a section and picked up a piece of timber. The constable was obviously fearful because he locked the doors and windows and attempted to drive off but another piece of wood was thrown through the rear window of the car.” The constable had got out of the car, and the defendant had raised the piece of timber and threatened him. The constable had been forced to draw his baton to protect himself. Two of the defendant’s associates had caused further damage to the car. “A further communitybased sentence is out of the question,” said the Judge.