Four men imprisoned

Press, 31 August 1984, Page 10

Four men imprisoned

Four men were sentenced to six months imprisonment yesterday for burgling a Waimate pharmacy. Bernard Gerarrd Dehair, aged 28, a carver (Mr G. Langham), Robin Leslie Griffiths, aged 25, unemployed (Mr S. C. Barker), Simon Patrick Wilson, aged 23, unemployed (Mr. A. Shaw), and Tony John Lockhead, aged 22, unemployed (Mr T. Allen) had been found guilty by a District Court jury of breaking into Bryan’s Pharmacy, in Queen Street, on February 21. The trial was held in Timaru earlier this month. A co-offender has already been sentenced. Burgling chemist shops to obtain drugs had become all too prevalent, Judge Pain said in the District Court at

Christchurch yesterday. It was significant that three of the defendants had histories of drug abuse. The Judge said that their conviction by the jury was “quite understandable.” There was every indication they were out to commit a crime that night, he said. The radio in their car was tuned to the police frequency and they had articles such as socks and balaclavas commonly used in the commission of crimes. Although the drugs obtained were not of great commercial value, the Judge said the defendants intended to take anything that was in the drugs cabinet.

All the defendants were sentenced to six months im-

prisonment. Lockhead will be on probation for 12 months at the end of his imprisonment and the Judge ordered that he take treatment for drug addiction as directed by his probation officer. Wilson will serve his sentence at the end of a present three-month term of imprisonment. Griffiths was also sentenced to six months imprisonment on a charge of using a vehicle for the commission of an offence under the Misuse of Drugs Act. This will be served concurrently to the six months imprisonment for burglary, but cumulative to a 12month term he is already serving. Mr D. J. L. Saunders appeared for the Crown.