Men for trial in service station case

Press, 10 November 1983, Page 4

Men for trial in service station case

Evidence that a plan of a service station and surrounding streets had been prepared for use in a proposed crime was given in the District Court yesterday. Two men were committed for trial by jury on a charge against each of conspiring with the other to commit theft at Storer’s Motors Service Station, Waimairi Road, on the evening of June 21. The men, Bruce Albert Reading, aged 21, unemployed (Mr D. J. Taffs) and Lee Christopher Brown, aged 21, a railways locomotive assistant (Mr A. N. D. Garrett) each denied the charge. z After a two-day hearing of depositions of evidence of prosecution witnesses, Messrs C. Fisk and J. B. Andersen, Justices of the Peace, held there was sufficient evidence to commit both men for trial. Each was remanded on

bail to November 25, pending trial in the District Court.

Sergeant W. J. McCormick prosecuted.

Evidence had been that the two defendants were stopped in a car soon after a service station attendant had seen two masked men creeping around the side of the service station. He told police inside the premises. Police had been given a tipoff about a planned theft from the premises that evening.

In evidence yesterday Detective Barkle said he interviewed Brown, who said he had been behind the garage to go to the toilet. They had been in the park chasing two girls. He then admitted involvement, and said he had not wanted anything to do with it. . In a written statement Brown detailed the events leading up to their apprehension, and said that Vincent Clephas, who had come up from Invercargill, had been at his and Reading’s flat and pulled a plan from his pocket showing the university, parks, and service station, and the names of streets. The plan also showed the layout of the garage. Clephas told Reading they had this job to do tonight. Reading said “no way,” and that he was returning to Kaiapoi where they had been earlier that day. Brown and Reading then left the flat, driving into the city and buying cigarettes. Brown’s statement said Reading then told him to drive to Riccarton, and gave instructions where to turn, and mentioned the garage. They stopped near a park and Reading asked Brown if he wanted to act as lookout. Brown told him he was mad. Reading said he had been waiting months to do this, and it was a shame that Clephas was not there.

Reading urged him on and said he was gutless. “So I gave in,” Brown’s statement continued.

They walked to the rear

of the garage. Brown told Reading he was going to the toilet, and put on his balaclava.

Then Reading said to “get the hell out of it” as they had been spotted. They made off over a fence and through a park to the car. A police patrol stopped them. Reading told Brown not to say a word “or else,” Brown’s statement concluded. Detective Barkle said he then accompanied Brown to the flat and found a sketch plan which appeared tb show the location and layout of the garage premises, and streets leading to the garage. Brown said they intended to creep into the lubrication bay and hide, and grab the takings off the attendant. He did not study the plan before he left the flat. He was not all that interested. Asked by Detective Barkle why Clephas had not gone with them, Brown said he supposed it was Clephas’s good luck. Brown said he should never have gone to the garage with Reading. He did not have a weapon with him.

Counsel for both men submitted that there was no case to answer to the charge. Mr Taffs said the evidence of alleged conversations at the flat was not evidence of a conspiracy between Reading and Brown — the subject of the charges.

The conversations were between Clephas and Reading. Mr Taffs also said that Brown’s statement was not admissible against Reading.

Reading had made a “clear denial” of any involvement when questioned by a detective and had then had “quite improper pressure” put on him when shown Brown’s statement. Mr Garrett said that he concurred with Mr Taffs’ submissions and submitted that the conspiracy charge against Brown could not succeed.