Burglary, assault bring jail term

Press, 3 May 1984, Page 4

Burglary, assault bring jail term

One of two men found guilty by a jury of burgling a New Brighton shop and assaulting a constable, was sent to prison for 15 months when he appeared for sentence before Judge Phin in the District Court yesterday. Brent Rory Coulston, aged 25, unemployed (Dr W. G. G. A. Young), had denied both offences, which occurred in the early hours of November 25, last year. The Judge said Coulston was “a risk to the community,” and had only been released from prison last July, yet he persisted in violent and criminal activity. Dr Young said Coulston had been in custody since his arrest. He said the constable had not been seriously injured in the assault. Coulston had been charged with burgling the jremises of Hallensteins, l.td, in the New Brighton Mall, in the early hours of November 25, last year. The other co-offender has yet to be sentenced. STOLE VALVE A man who stole a $l3ll valve unit from his employer at a time when he was converting his vehicle to compressed natural gas, later found that he could buy a similar unit for $6O, said Sergeant J. E. Dwyer. The defendant, a former branch manager, was convicted by Judge Frampton and fined $2OO. He was granted suppression of his name on the application of a duty solicitor, Mr G. D. Horne. Sergeant Dwyer said the defendant had stoleft the unit from the vehicle during

August and September, last year. A member of the firm’s staff had earlier this year noticed that the defendant had a unit in his car similar to the one stolen. Mr Horne said when the defendant took the hightechnology valve unit he had no idea that its value was so high. The stolen item had been restored to the other vehicle. The defendant, a first offender, had lost his job as a result of the offence. ASSAULT CHARGE On a charge of assaulting Logan Douglas Stewart with intent to injure him, Alison Cookson, aged 23, unemployed, was remanded at large without pleading to May 9. The police say the offence occurred on March 23. THREAT CHARGES Bernard Allan Hill, aged 24, a sickness beneficiary, facing charges of threatening to kill three persons and intentionally damaging a door, was remanded in custody to May 9. Hill is charged with committing the offences on April 30. Bail was opposed by Detective Sergeant D. M. Quested. While in custody Hill will undergo a psychiatric examination. ESCAPING CHARGE Peter Winton Cathro, aged 21, who is charged with escaping from the custody of a police officer at Dargaville on April 19, was remanded in custody to appear in the District Court at Dargaville today.