Woman hid cannabis, cash under nightdress

Press, 20 August 1983, Page 4

Woman hid cannabis, cash under nightdress

A part-time security guard hid a bag of cannabis and $2190 in cash under her nightdress for 20 minutes while a police party was at her address on a drug warrant, said Sergeant C. J. Shannahan in the District Court yesterday. Liana Irene ' Mclntyre, aged 42, was convicted by Judge Bradford on a charge of obstructing a police officer in the execution of his duty on August 5. She was fined $l5O. Sergeant Shannahan said a police party visited the defendant’s address with a warrant issued under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Mclntyre opened the door and when she saw the police went upstairs to tell her husband. He gave her a bag containing cannabis and cash in $lO and $2O notes which she concealed under her nightdress for 20 minutes until she was allowed to have a shower and change. While doing this, said Sergeant Shannahan she removed the lid of the cistern and placed the bag inside. The bag was discovered after it was noticed that the drain was overflowing. Mclntyre said the cannabis belonged to her husband but the money was hers, earned but not declared for tax purposes, while employed as a parttime security guard, said Sergeant Shannahan. The bag was found to contain $2190 in cash.

A charge of possessing cannabis, laid against the defendant, was withdrawn by the police. Counsel (Mr S. G. Erber), said that the offence was committed out of a sense of loyalty to her husband of 22 years.

No assertion had been made that she was involved in any activities of her husband’s.

The amount of culpability was small. It was a spur of the moment action by a woman with a strong loyalty to her husband, said Mr Erber. John Mclntyre, aged 43, is charged with cultivating cannabis, and possessing the drug for sale or supply. A new charge of supplying cannabis was laid yesterday, while another of selling the drug was withdrawn. Mr Erber said that his client would plead guilty to the charges, two of which are laid indictably. He sought and was granted a remand on bail to Monday. INDECENCY CHARGE Anyone foolish enough to take the law into his own hands will have to face the legal consequences, said the Judge when told that a relative of the complainant was waiting in the court precincts for a man charged with indecently assaulting a girl, aged 5. Wayne Thomas Moore, aged 20, unemployed, is

charged with committing the offence between May 31, 1982, and August 17, 1983. He was remanded on bail of $750 to August 26. Moore did not plead. A duty solicitor, Mr E. Bedo, sought interim suppression of the name of the defendant because of the nature of the alleged offence which, he said, often attracted physical violence. Mr Bedo then made the comment about a relative of the complainant being in the court area waiting for the defendant. The Judge refused the application. He also said that in addition to the waiting relative, there were police officers present should trouble break out. FRAUD CHARGES Fifty further charges are likely to be laid against a solider who appeared yesterday on 12 charges of fraud involving goods and services to a total value of $1573, said Sergeant Shannahan. John Patrick Bower, aged 27, was remanded without plea, on bail of $2OOO, to August 26. Sergeant Shannahan sought a remand into the custody of the New Zealand Army where Bower had to face a court-martial on a desertion charge. The Judge said that the remand period should allow the Army to deal with any disciplinary problem regarding the defendant. THEFT CHARGES

A manageress facing four charges of shoplifting involving property to a total value of $734 was remanded to appear in the District Court at Greymouth on September 7. She is Gloria Jean McKenzie, aged 34, (Miss K. G. Feltham). She is charged with stealing clothing from stores at Northlands, New Brighton and in Christchurch, on August 4 and 5. (Before Judge Bisphan) PROBATION A young woman who gave a fictitious message over the telephone to say three sticks of gelignite in the Theatre Royal were due to go off in 10 minutes was put on probation for 18 months when she appeared for sentence. Donna Marie Dixon, aged 17 (Mr E. Bedo) was also ordered to live and work where directed, not to associate with persons considered unacceptable, and to take treatment and counselling for her psychiatric problems. At the earlier hearing Dixon had admitted the offence which took place on July 22. The offence was committed after the defendant, and a companion, decided to make the call because they did not like the proprietor of the toffee shop at the theatre.