Two remanded on Waltham incident

Press, 7 March 1984, Page 16

Two remanded on Waltham incident

Two men facing charges relating to an alleged conspirancy to commit an armed robbery were remanded in custody after bail was “strongly” opposed by Sergeant G. C. Jones in the District Court yesterday. They are Barry John Wiki, aged 30 (Mr S. C. Barker), and Alexander James Henderson, aged 30, both unemployed. They are each charged with conspiring to commit an armed robbery and with wearing masks over their faces by day. Wiki is charged with the unlawful possession of a sawn-off 12 gauge shotgun, while Henderson is charged with unlawfully possessing a

gas-operated pistol. The pair were arrested in the Waltham area on Monday afternoon. Wiki is also charged with stealing a $550 motor-cycle between February 26 and March 5.

Both defendants were remanded in custody without pleading by Judge Drampton, Wiki until Friday and Henderson to March 13. CHURCH FIRE

A man who admitted wil-» fully setting fire to the office premises of the Apostilic Church in Colombo Street told the police he had been suffering from severe emotional problems at the time, said Sergeant Jones.

Alan Raymond Symon, aged 29, unemployed (Miss

C. M. Risk), was convicted and remanded on bail of $3OOO to appear for a probation support and sentence in the High Court on March 22. Sergeant Jones said damage to the church office was estimated to be $4359.

The office was badly damaged. Investigations subsequently showed the fire had been deliberately hit by someone who broke into the office and ransacked it, said Sergeant Jones.

Symon initially asserted that he had discovered the fire but had not lit it He later said that he was happy to be caught because he was in need of psychological treatment without which he might do it again.