Jail sequel to gun incidents

Press, 3 February 1984, Page 8

Jail sequel to gun incidents

A youth, who was earlier convicted of six charges arising from shotgun incidents in Kaiapoi last month, was sent to prison for 18 months by Judge McAloon in the District Court yesterday.

He told Noel John Gargett, aged 16 (Mr E. Bedo), that for those concerned it must have been terrifying to have been confronted by a person bearing a shotgun who was beside himself with rage. Fortunately, nobody was hurt, said the Judge, but one had the feeling that in view of the defendant’s state of mind and sobriety, it was more a question of good

luck than good management.

Although Gargett had only one conviction for a fairly minor past offence, so serious was the present offending that any sentence short of imprisonment would be inappropriate, the Judge said. Mr Bedo sought the imposition of a sentence of residential periodic detention notwithstanding the serious nature of the offences, expecially the two aggravated robberies.

Gargett, he said, had no previous offences of violence and although several people had, no doubt, been frightened, there was

nothing to indicate any premeditation. The shotgun offences had started out from a domestic argument involving the defendant, his mother, and a brother, which had been aggravated by the half bottle of rum consumed earlier by Gargett, said Mr Bedo.

Gargett was appearing for sentence on two charges of aggravated robbery, intimidation, recklessly discharging a 12-gauge shotgun, presenting the shotgun at a woman, and carrying the shotgun while under the infuence of drink or drugs.

As a result of these offences the armed offenders squad had to be called out. Gargett had also been convicted on three unrelated charges in December—theft, assault, and the intentional damage of shop windows. FRAUD OFFENCES

Compensation of $7593 was sought from an unemployed man who, between November last year, and January, admitted committing 34 fraud offences using

cheques belonging to three complainants. Melville Charles Riseley, aged 33 (Mr Bedo), was convicted and remanded in custody to February 9. Sergeant L. J. Bruce said that the offences arose out of the defendant’s use of three stolen cheque books in various South Island towns, and in the lower part of the North Island.

Property obtained included clothing, liquor, groceries, a radio-cassette recorder, toys, an exercycle, and cash. Only the recorder had been recovered, said Sergeant Bruce. Riseley said he used the stolen cheques to obtain food and liquor. DRUG CHARGES Charges of possessing cannabis for sale or supply, cultivating cannabis, and the possession of cannabis seeds on January 24, were denied by a taxi-driver. Peter James Hall, aged 29, was remanded to April 19 for a defended hearing. DEPOSITIONS Trial by jury was elected

by a manageress charged with assisting two men to avoid arrest knowing they had been involved in the attempted burglary of the Opawa Supermarket on January 18. Jeanette Kathryn Hurst, aged 36 (Mr D. C. Fitzgibbon), was remanded at large to March 21 for the taking of depositions. CHARGE DENIED

A charge of cultivating cannabis was denied by James Nelson Hindson, aged 51, a fishmonger. Hindson (Mr D. C. Fitzgibbon) was remanded at large to April 30 for a defended hearing. The charge relates to January 4. COMMUNITY SERVICE One hundred hours of community service was ordered to be carried out by a solo mother earlier convicted on 26 charges of fraud, all committed on December 5, involving $1250.

In imposing sentence the Judge said that it was clearly a case of the company she was keeping at the time which had got Makere

Barlow, aged 29, into trouble.

“You were mixing with people more experienced in breaking the law and you committed the offences at their suggestion,” he said. Mr A. N. D. Garrett, for Barlow, said that some of the money obtained had been used to pay debts and to buy groceries and necessities although he admitted some had been used by his client to entertain others. Barlow, who had massive financial problems, was now eight months pregnant with her fifth child. Because of the circumstances the Judge made no order regarding compensation. RECEIVING CHARGE No plea was entered by a man charged with receiving a peacock tapestry, valued at $75, and a pagoda tapestry, valued at $5OO. Phillip Curtis Mcllroy, aged 26, a polytechnic student, was remanded on bail of $lOOO to February 9. He is charged with committing the offence about January 30.