Conviction for theft of crayfish

Press, 29 June 1983, Page 17

Conviction for theft of crayfish

A man who admitted his part in the burglary of a Blenheim coolstore from which $12,000 worth of export crayfish, and other fish, was stolen, was convicted by Judge Wilson in the District Court yesterday. He is Bryce Douglas Ephia, aged 30, unemployed (Mrs D. M. Orchard), who committed the burglary of the Bristol Street Coolstore of Consolidated Fisheries, Ltd. He was remanded on bail to July 12 for a probation report and sentence. Sergeant G. C. Jones, said that the coolstore was burgled our Anzac week-end and a light utility vehicle was used to remove the crayfish and the other fish. A quantity of the crayfish was disposed of in hotels in the Christchurch area. In explanation Ephia said that he had committed the offence with two associates and a two-way radio had been used, Sergeant Jones, said. Damage to the coolstore amounted to $5O and the defendant’s share of the compensation sought is $3OOO. Sergeant Jones said a small quantity of fish had been recovered but was not suitable for human consumption. Ephia was also convicted on a charge of fraud in that he used a money order, made out to someone else, to obtain $135 in cash. The offence was committed at Blenheim on April 11, and compensation of this amount was sought, Sergeant Jones said. DEPOSITIONS A man charged with threatening to kill a woman, and with assaulting her elected trial by jury. Howard Lewis Whitehurst, aged 23, a fuel injection trainee (Mr D. C. Fitzgibbon), was remanded on bail of $l5OO, to Septem-

ber 12 for the taking of depositions. He is charged with committing the offence on June 10. DRUG CHARGE A solo mother accused of unlawfully delivering cannabis and valium tablets to an inmate at Addington Prison was remanded without plea to July 5. Sharon Marie Humphries, aged 19, is charged with committing the offence on June 27. Bail was set at $5OO. PERIODIC DETENTION A man earlier convicted on a charge of possessing 342 grams of cannabis plant for sale or supply was sentenced to periodic detention for four months. Phillip John Rammelt, aged 24, a storeman (Mr A. C. Hughes-Johnson), had admitted the offence which took place on June 3. At the earlier hearing, the police prosecutor said 11 packets of cannabis, weighing 342 grams, had been found in a locked room when the policec executed a search warrant at the defendant’s address. Rammelt told the police that he and an associate had paid $l5OO for the drug two weeks earlier. It was intended for their own use. Mr Hughes-Johnson said his instructions were that the quantity found by the police was for the defendant’s own use. Rammelt would not touch the drug again and the prospects of his reoffending were minimal. The Judge said that people in possession of the amount of cannabis the defendant had could be pressured to have the drug for supply. Those supplying cannabis were normally sent to prison, he said. In the present case, he added, imprisonment could be avoided by the imposition of periodic detention.