Girl’s photograph identified man who assaulted her

Press, 14 August 1984, Page 4

Girl’s photograph identified man who assaulted her

A photograph taken by a schoolgirl, aged 17, of a man who assaulted her in Christchurch Cathedral one afternoon last month led to his imprisonment for three months yesterday. David Allan Doman, aged 30, unemployed (Mr M. J. Glue), admitted the offence when charged in the District Court yesterday. Judge Bradford said the incident must have been “terrifying” for the complainant. By the ruse of asking to take a photograph of the defendant outside the Cathedral she was able to provide the evidence subsequently used to identify him, the Judge said. Sergeant A. T. Smith said that at 4 p.m. on July 9 the schoolgirl was taking photographs in Cathedral Square for a school project. Dornan, who was slightly intoxicated approached the girl and, telling her he was lonely, invited her into the Cathedral.

He told the girl he would kill himself later if she did not help him, said Sergeant Smith.

Seated inside, Doman touched the girl’s hair and face and her thighs. Saying he was lonely and frustrated he tried to persuade the girl to lie on the floor. She refused.

The girl then asked Dornan if he would go outside so that she could take a photograph of him. He com-

plied and the photograph was subsequently used to identify him, said Sergeant Smith.

The defendant was examined by two doctors during the court’s lunch adjournment and they found him to have no disability but suggested that he was in need of ongoing surveillance.

In sentencing Doman, the Judge said he took into account the gravity of the offence, and the defendant’s past offending back to 1973.

While awaiting sentence in the cells, Doman, to the amusement of Court staff and the police escort, could be heard, loudly singing the ballad, “Please Release .Me.”

Mr Glue said the defendant’s musical plea seemed an appropriate way of dealing with the matter.

PSYCHIATRIC REPORT A psychiatric report will be obtained on a woman, aged 40, charged with making a false statement that an attempt had been made to rape her. The woman, represented by Mr J. Knowles, was granted interim suppression of her name. She was remanded to August 27, without plea. The alleged offence, the police, say, occurred on July 9.

FIRED SHOTGUN On a charge of discharging a 12-gauge shotgun in

Kaiapoi in circumstances likely to endanger a man, Terence William Hobby, aged 22, was convicted and remanded at large to August 27 for a probation report and sentence. Hobby, a shoemaker (Mrs P. D. Gibson), admitted the offence which occurred on August 11. Sergeant Smith said that Hobby had fired a shot into the lawn while his father and the complainant, Brent Reuben, were fighting.

Earlier Hobby had been involved in a dispute with Reuben at a hotel which resulted in one of his front teeth being chipped. The shooting incident took S' i at his father’s home in and Street Hobby said he was frightened of Reuben. He got hold of the shotgun to scare him off. The shot was directed at the lawn, not at Reuben, he told the police. $5OOO BAIL Bail was set at $5OOO for a man facing charges of theft and assault. Alan James Mallock, aged 19, a labourer, is charged with stealing two pairs of shoes, a pair of Jeans, a cassette, a camera, a bag, and $lO in cash, of a total value of $435, the property of Ben Mac Gibbon; and with assaulting Mr Mac Gibbon in order to escape from the scene of the alleged offence. Mallock was remanded on bail of $2500, with a surety of the same amount, to August 16. He did not plead. Bail was not opposed by the police but a substantial surety was sought PROBATION Probation for 12 months, coupled with counselling as directed, was the sentence imposed on a man convicted of making a false complaint to the police that he had been assaulted.

j Richard John Allen, aged 18, an injection moulder (Mr K. J. Grave), had admitted the offence which occurred on the night of July 28. ' After being found on the ground at his workplace, Allen had been taken to hospital. He later claimed he had been “jumped” by two men while he was checking the firm’s fire alarm.

Because of the false complainant six policemen, two detectives, and a dog handler, spent more than an hour checking the complaint. Mr Grave said that as a result of the offence his client, a first offender had lost his job. Allen bitterly regretted his action and claimed he had only misled the police to get attention. The Judge said if seemed clear that the defendant was in need of counselling. DEPOSITIONS

Trial by jury was elected by Gordon Edward Alexander Knox, aged 30, unemployed, who is charged with assaulting David John McCormick.

Knox (Mr P. A. B. Hall), was remanded on renewed bail to September 18 for the taking of depositions. The police say the alleged offence occurred on July 21. ESCAPER A man who admitted escaping from a work party at Paparua Prison on August 3 was convicted and remanded in custody to August 27 for a probation report and sentence. ' Sergeant Smith said that Jeremy Mattave Livisone, aged 29, was reported missing at the prison at 12.15 p.m. After extensive police inquiries he was apprehended at Kainga at 1.20 p.m. on August 5. Livisone (Mr M. J. Glue) is serving an 18-month prison sentence. BENCH WARRANT

A warrant was issued for the arrest of a man facing charges of burgling four Christchurch schools between June 8 and July 11, who failed to appear in Court yesterday. He is Gerald Rahine Pewhairangi, aged 29, unemployed.