Fine, suspension after injury accident

Press, 17 February 1983, Page 4

Fine, suspension after injury accident

A horse trainer earlier convicted on three traffic offences, one of which involved causing bodily injury to a woman was fined a total of $B5O when he appeared for sentence before Judge Paterson in the District Court yesterday.

Wayne Edward Ross, aged 37 (Mr G. E. Langham), had admitted driving with an excess blood-alcohol level, causing bodily injury to Katrina Ellen Yateman by carelessly using a car in Beresford Street, and with failing to stop after an accident.

The offences took place on January 22.

In imposing the fines the Judge told Ross that there would have been no accident if he had not been drinking beforehand. In addition to the fines Ross was disqualified from holding or obtaining a driver's licence for 12 months.

Mr Langham said that his client had consumed only a small amount of alcohol when he had been with horse owners discussing business in one of their homes. Ross did not see the other vehicle until it suddenly appeared in his headlights. Ross, a man who worked under extreme pressure, had been driving for 22 years. The injury suffered by the complainant was only minor and. said Mr Langham, had originally been classified as a non-injury accident. . At the earlier hearing the police prosecutor had said that Ross had run into the rear of a car at an intersection.

The impact had been such that the vehicle which was struck crossed the road, run up a river bank and had almost continued into the river.

The complainant, Miss Yateman. suffered neck injuries. She was taken to hospital, treated, and discharged.

A police patrol had located the defendant's car about a quarter of a mile away. Attempts were being made to prise, the front fender off a wheel.

Because of this, Ross explained to the police, he did not return immediately to the scene of the accident as he had intended to do. DRUG CHARGES

A sickness beneficiary facing four charges of possess-

ing drugs, assaulting a prison officer, escaping from custody. and driving while disqualified, was remanded in custody to February 22.

No pleas were entered byNicholas John Shirley, aged 24. He is alleged to have been in possession of pethedine. tincture of opium, methadone and detromoramide. all class B-controlled drugs, and to have driven while disqualified on February 7. The charges of assaulting the prison officer and escaping from custody were said to have occurred on February 9. ’ FATALITY CHARGE A soldier, facing three traffic charges, one of them involving a fatality, was remanded without plea to February 23. Terry Taranga Henderson, aged *29. is charged with causing the death of Wendy Iris Dawson by carelessly using a car on State highway 1, driving with an excess blood-alcohol level, and that while driving in such a condition was in charge of a car when, by an act or omission, caused the death of Mrs Dawson. The charges relate to September 18 last year. REMAND A commercial fisherman alleged to have received three fishing nets, valued at $2OOO, was remanded on bail to February 23. Charles Glyn Morris, aged 30 (Mr P. B. McMenamin). is charged with having received the nets on or about February 8.

They were the property of Warren James Matthews. EYE LOST

A man lost an eye as a result of a glass of beer being thrown at him in a bar by Simone Gafa, said Sergeant P. F. Laloli. Gafa, aged 24, a battery assembler (Mr P. R. Van Rij), admitted that with reckless disregard for the safety of others, he injured Theodore Nauer on November 20 last year. He was convicted and remanded on bail of $lOOO to March 2 for a’ probation report and sentence. . Sergeant Laloli said that about 9.30 p.m. on November 20 the defendant had gone to a hotel in Fitzgerald Avenue. In the public bar Gafa saw the complainant, Nauer, sitting in ’the bar with some friends.

After buying a glass of beer Gafa. without warning, threw the glass in the direction of Nauer. It struck Nauer beneath the left eye. shattered, and caused severe lacerations which resulted in the complainant losing his eye. said Sergeant Laloli. Later the same night the defendant was attacked by some of the complainant's associates. Gafa suffered minor lacerations.

The two groups had since ceased hostilities, said Sergeant Laloli. THEFT CHARGES

A housewife facing two charges of stealing money, totalling $676, was remanded without plea to March 2. Helen Dianne Adams, aged 29. is charged with stealing $4O, in cash, the property on the Wigram Superette and Dairy, on November 9. last year, and with stealing $636. in cash, the property of Mabel Ellen Smith, on January 7. FALSE FIRE ALARM A fisherman who admitted making a false fire alarm call told the police that he had seen it done before at a party, said Sergeant Laloli. Murray Paul McGarrol. aged 19 (Mr S. G. Barker), who knowingly gave a false fire alarm at Akaroa on November 26, was convicted and fined $lOO.

The Judge warned McGarrol not to tamper with emergency services in future. Sergeant Laloli said that the duty operator at the Akaroa Post Office had received a telephone call at 12.7 a.m. to say there was a fire at the wharf.

It was the operator’s duty to activate the fire brigade, he said.

The operator, doubting the authenticity of the call, traced the caller. There was no fire on the wharf.

McGarrol, when spoken to by police, said he had earlier had a few drinks at a party and that he had seen such a fire call done at a party once.

Mr Barker said that his client had been at sea for a week and after unloading the catch had gone drinking with his mates at a party.

The fire service was not called. There was no fire, and it was quite clear the matter was a joke from start to finish, he said.