Smoke bomber sentenced

Press, 10 December 1982, Page 4

Smoke bomber sentenced

| A man who threw an ig- ! nited smoke canister at the yard of the Central Police Station last month was sentenced to periodic detention five months by Judge Frampton in the District Court yesterday. At the very least the throwing of the canister could have caused serious disruptions while at the worst it was possible to have inflicted severe burns on anyone having to deal with it, the Judge told John David Bridges, aged 30. a sound technician. Bridges had admitted unlawfully possessing the cannister and throwing it at the police yard. Counsel (Mr P. M. James) said that the offences were isolated and had not arisen out of any protest link with the HART organisation nor out of any support of the young man who died while trying to blow up the Wanganui Computer Centre. The offences were born out of a drunken escapade and Mr James asked the Judge not to treat the matter with the sinister aspect implied

by the police prosecutor at the earlier hearing. The canister was not an explosive device nor an incendiary . It was a smoke generator used by the military for camouflage when on manoeuvres, he said. FRAUD CHARGES A salesman facing 16 charges of fraud, involving almost $60,000, elected trial by jury. Christopher Cliff Morris, aged 28 (Mr P. H. B. Hall, was remanded to March 7 for the taking of depositions which, counsel said, would take two days. On his last appearance Morris faced 11 charges, involving $30,000. Yesterday five new charges, involving $29,900, were laid against the defendant. The charges relate to offences committed in October when Morris allegedly wrote out cheques ranging in value from $5O to $lB,OOO. CHARGE DENIED A man, aged 59, denied a charge that he allowed his premises in Wilsons Road to be used for the purpose of bookmaking on August 7.

t Duncan Fields, a porter, r was remanded at large to February 18 for a defended i hearing. ; INDECENT DOCUMENTS A youth who admitted ’ leaving indecent documents at a house in Burwood Road on two occasions told the police he did so to “get even” 1 with a female neighbour who ! had complained about cigarette butts being flicked over on to her property. Shane David Field, a metal worker (Mrs M. R. Evans), committed the two offenceson September 19 and November 9. He was convicted and fined $5O on each charge. The indecent documents were of a sexual nature, torn out of magazines which the defendant knew to be indecent, and which would offend the complainant, said Sergeant C. J. Cole. The woman had reported both matters to the police. Mrs Evans said that the offences took place in 1981. It was a childish escapade which had a far more reaching effect on the complainant

than was ever intended by her client. There had been a history of difficulties with the particular neighbour and Field now sincerely regretted his actions, she said. DEPOSITIONS A man charged with burgling a house in Bealey Avenue on December 2 elected trial by jury. Dean Andrew Gray, aged 19. unemployed (Mr D. J. Taffs), was remanded in custody to February 24 for the taking of depositions. Bail was opposed by Sergeant Cole. BAIL OPPOSED Bail was opposed when an unemployed man appeared charged with burglary, because, said Sergeant Cole, the alleged offence involved the theft of firearms and ammunition which were said to be used to commit an armed robbery. Tana Panapa, aged 26 (Mr D. C. Fitzgibbon), is charged with breaking into a house in Salisbury Street on December 8. Panapa was remanded in custody to December 16.