Betting reason for thefts

Press, 21 January 1983, Page 5

Betting reason for thefts

A Keystores’ branch manager who stole sums totalling $23,944.71 for betting on racehorses during 19 weeks from September 1 last year until January 12. told the police he had begun taking money from the cash register, lost it. and "just kept on going, hoping for a miracle." the District Court heard yesterday.

The defendant. Stephen James Savage, aged 22. admitted a charge of theft of various sums of money totalling $23,944.71 from his employer. He was convicted by Judge Paterson and remanded on renewed bail to February 3 for a probation report and sentence. Sergeant B. N. Thompson, who prosecuted, said that the defendant had worked for Keystores for six years and a half and was appointed manager of the New Brighton branch last April. He bet heavily on horse races and lost all his wages and then sold his car. He

again lost all the proceeds the car sale. J On September Ihe stole ” shop takings and lost this money on betting, and continued in this way until January 12, losing all his pay. and the money he had taken. The defendant hid the deficits by delayed bankings of shop takings. He recorded running totals of the amounts he stole. The defendant continued to steal takings, living in the hope that his luck would change and he would win all of it back. Sergeant Thompson said. When confronted by his employers the defendant admitted the thefts. He told the police he was a compulsive gambler and kept on going, hoping for a miracle. Sergeant Thompson said restitution of the amount stolen was sought. The defendant had assets of $450. FIREARM OFFENCE A man who loaded a shotgun in the forecourt of the Johns Road Garage at 12.20 a.m. on January 8, after an argument with the night attendant over an incident involving a dog belonging to the defendant’s brother, was told by the Judge that even taking the most favourable

view of the incident it was a serious offence.

The defendant. Robert Jack Elliott, aged 18. unemployed, was appearing for sentence , after earlier pleading guilty to a charge of unlawfully carrying a firearm in a public place. He was sentenced to four months non-resident periodic detention and placed on probation for a year, with a special condition that he undertake treatment, as directed by the probation officer, for alcoholism. The Court had heard last week that the defendant became involved in an argument and went away, saying he would ‘‘sort the matter out.” He returned shortly after carrying the shotgun and with three cartridges. • He loaded the gun but did not threaten the defendant with the weapon, which he later unloaded. Counsel for the defendant (Mr E. Bedo) submitted that the defendant asserted he had been showing the shotgun to the complainant, as he had also done previously. He had been rabbit shooting some days before. A “relatively minor altercation” took place later. The defendant had not taken the shotgun to the forcourt during the course of the argument. He at no stage threatened the complainant with the gun. The Judge said that, although the defendant did not point the loaded gun at the complainant, the latter undoubtedly knew of its presence. STOLE CAR Jeffrey Edwin Devonport, aged 17, unemployed, was convicted on a charge of theft of a car valued to $l3OO on January 6. He was remanded on bail to Febraury 3 for sentence, with a curfew imposed by the Court last week to continue. The curfew requires him to remain at home from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. Sergeant Thompson said that the car, owned by Graeme Keith Greenlaw, was stolen from a supermarket car park on the morning of January 6.

At 1.15 a.m. the next morning the car was found by the police at the intersection of

Breezes Road and Pages Road. Its motor had been removed and an attempt had been made to set the car on fire.

When questioned, the defendant admitted that he and a female associate had gone to the car park and saw a car of the same model as the girl's. The girl’s keys were used to open the other car and it was driven away and the motor removed and fitted into the girl’s car as her vehicle's motor was in need of repairs. After completing the transfer, the defendant and three others pushed the stolen car to a nearby intersection and the contents of its boot were set alight. Restitution for damage to the car was sought. GOLF CLUB BURGLARY Three men, all unemployed, admitted charges that, together with one another, they broke into the Richmond Hill Golf Club's rooms on December 24. The defendants were each convicted and remanded on bail to February 3 for sentence.

They were Paul Robert Fairweather, aged 18, Kevin Michael Peacock, aged 18, and Toska William Winkelman. aged 20.

A fourth defendant on the same charge. David Paul Ivory, aged 17. pleaded not guilty and was remanded on bail to March 21 for a defended fixture. Winkelman was also convicted and remanded to February 3 for sentence on two other burglaries, which he admitted, of the Sumner Tennis and Squash Club on December 2 and again on December 20.

Sergeant Thompson said that in relation to the golf club burgalry to which three defendants pleaded guilty, a police patrol found a car with the defendants inside parked near the golf club.

The. car also contained several crates of beer, bottles of spirits, cigarettes, cigars and confectionary worth $599, stolen from the clubrooms. The defendants admitted the theft and told the police that they had entered the building through an insecure window.

They had taken the liquor

and other items to sell as they were short of money. Restitution of $37.50 from, each defendant was sought. Sergeant Thompson said that on the first occasion Winkelman burgled the Sumner Tennis and Squash Club, he stole $250 in money, and spirits valued at $BO.

On his second break-in no liquor or money were left in the building, and nothing was taken. The defendant told the police he had committed the burglaries because he needed the money, and because of frustration with family problems. Restitution of $360 for money and goods not recovered. and for damage to the building, was sought. RECEIVING A man stopped by the police with two stolen video cassette recorders worth $3240 in his car said that he knew they were stolen and was helping an associate to dispose of them. Sergeant Thompson said. The defendant. Kristopher Blay Hamilton, aged 20, a labourer, admitted a charge of receiving the recorders, belonging to Wilson Neill Applainces. knowing that they had been stolen, on December 21. He was convicted and remanded on bail to February 3 for sentence.

HOUSE BURGLARIES Three charges of breaking and entering houses in December were admitted by Pani Bain, aged 17. unemploved. She was convicted and remanded on bail to February 4 for sentence on these charges, and also on a charge on which she was to have been sentenced yesterday of theft of a purse and contents, valued at $434, from Lorna Joy Langham on January 5.

Sergeant G. G. Cleland detailed the burglaries from which property totalling $1439 was taken, and some of the property from the houses was subsequently found in the defendant's house, and car.

She told the police that she had committed the burglaries because she needed money. A filed-down housekey was in her possession. Compensation of her share of property not recovered. $234.90, was sought. FARMERS REMANDED Two South Canterbury farmers were remanded on bail to February 3 on a joint charge of breaking and entering the clubrooms of the Windwhistle Winter Sports Club at Mount Olympus, near Lake Coleridge, on January 1. The two were granted interim suppression of name at the request of their counsel (Mr S. G. Erber).