Pendants from bullets — counsel

Press, 2 March 1984, Page 9

Pendants from bullets — counsel

One hundred and ten .32calibre pistol bullets found during a police search of a man’s property were being used by him to make silver pendants, said counsel, Mrs P. D. Gibson, in the District Court yesterday.

As evidence of this she handed specimens of the jewellery to Judge Bradford.

Mrs Gibson was appearing for Darcy Yee, aged 42, who admitted charges of unlawfully possessing .32 calibre ammunition, possessing cocaine, and cannabis leaf. Yee was convicted on each offence. He was fined a total of $425.

Sergeant M. P. Caldwell said that when a search warrant was executed at the defendant’s address on February 9 they found 110 automatic pistol bullets, half a gross of cocaine, hidden in a vacuum cleaner, and some cannabis materials. Of the ammunition Mrs Gibson said that her client, after “defusing” the bullets, had them silver-plated. He had made about 300 silver bullet pendants and had sold a lot of them. The cocaine found in the vacuum cleaner was of a minute quantity. Its pure weight was 174 milligrams, she said.

Yee had been in possession of the cocaine for five years. It was given to him by a friend to try. He had not liked it and had put it in the vacuum cleaner. Mrs Gibson said that her client was unaware that it was still there until the police found it. The cannabis found at Yee's home was only a very

small amount weighing 9.3 grams, Mrs Gibson said. The Judge fined Yee $2OO on the cocaine charge, $l5O on the cannabis charge, and $75 on the ammunition charge. 10-YEAR BAN A man convicted on his fourth drink-driving offence was disqualified from holding or obtaining a driver’s licence for 10 years. Persons convicted this number of times did not deserve a driving licence, the Judge told Brian George McAllister, aged 30 (Mr M. J. Glue). McAllister had earlier admitted charges of driving in a dangerous manner, driving with an excess bloodalcohol level, and refusing to accompany a traffic officer. The offending occurred on January 20. In the course of his drive along Colombo Street at 11.45 p.m. McAllister narrowly missed a motorcyclist, drove with lights off through several traffic lights at high speed before stopping at a red light at Wordsworth Street with the police in pursuit. When caught McAllister smelt of liquor, his eyes were glazed and he initially refused a breath test. He also struggled violently. With a blood-alcohol level of 950mcg per litre of breath, McAllister was certainly unfit to drive, said the Judge. In addition to the disqualification the defendant was sentenced to periodic detention for six months. Mr Glue asked that the offence be viewed as an isolated incident. McAllister, he said, was

very intoxicated at the time as unbeknown to him, someone had spiked his beer with gin. BAIL OPPOSED Bail was opposed for a man facing charges of unlawfully taking a $4500 car and that with intent to commit a crime he wore a mask by dav on February 29. Stephen John Isherwood, aged 25, unemployed, did not plead. Bail was sought by a duty solicitor (Mr K. J. Grave). It was opposed by Sergeant Caldwell because of the nature of the offence which took place while the defendant was already on bail on a drug charge. Isherwood was remanded in custody to March 8. ASSAULT CHARGES Two charges of assault were denied by William Galvin, aged 37, a labourer (Mr S. C. Barker). He was remanded on bail to March 8 for a defended hearing. Galvin is accused of assaulting Michael John Pannell and David John. Page on February 28. The charge relates to a sickle wielding incident. DEFENDED HEARING Scott Owen McDougall, aged 24, unemployed (Mr A. N. D. Garrett), denied a charge of intentionally damaging a window, the property of the Waimairi County Council. He was remanded on bail to April 17 for a defended hearing. The charge relates to a disturbance at a punk rock dance in Harewood Road on February 11. .