Judge suppresses sex offenders’ names

Press, 15 November 1984, Page 19

Judge suppresses sex offenders’ names

Suppression of the names of two defendants and the town in which charges of unlawful sexual intercourse with three under age girls took place was granted by Judge Fraser in the District Court yesterday. The defendants, one aged 19, the other 17, were each given a 12-month deferred sentence. They had admitted the offences. Counsel (Mr P. H. B. Hall) handed the Judge submissions written by counsel who acted for the defendants at an earlier hearing in their home town. One of the defendants had unlawful sex with two girls, the other with one girl, in cubicles in a hostel dormitory on May 29. The pair had been drinking beforehand. At 11.30 p.m. they went to the hostel, climbed a fire escape, and knocked at a window.

After being let in they remained in the dormitory until 1 a.m. during which time the dffences took place.

Each of the girls was said to have been a willing partner. CHARGE DENIED A charge of aggravated cruelty to a Dobermann cross dog, which resulted in its death, was denied by Grant Paul Holmes.

Holmes, aged 31, unemployed (Mr S. C. Barker), was remanded at large to February 18 for a defended hearing.

The charge, laid under the Animals Protection Act, relates to the death last month of a Dobermann cross dog after it was stabbed with a pitchfork.

An application for interim suppression of the defendant’s name when he first appeared was refused by the Judge. INJURY OFFENCE

Leslie Andrew Stewart, aged 19, was convicted and fined $4OO after admitting a charge of causing bodily injury to Gavin Anson and Wayne Oakley by carelessly using a car on the night of September 6. Stewart (Mr R. S. Peters) was also disqualified from holding or obtaining a driver’s licence for six months.

Sergeant W. J. McCormick said the defendant raced through an orange traffic light, collided with another vehicle, lost control, and smashed into a lamp standard.

His passengers, Anson and Oakley, were injured and required hospital treatment. Mr Peters said alcohol was not involved. His client had fully co-operated with the police. He had also kept contact with the two injured persons and their friendship had not been impaired as a result of the accident OFFENSIVE BEHAVIOUR

A youth who urinated in a lift in “The Press” building in Cathedral Square on

November 9 was convicted and fined $lOO. David Mason, aged 17, unemployed, admitted the offence.

A duty solicitor (Mr B. Frampton) said Mason committed, the offence because, needing to relieve himself, he had gone into the building where he had been told there were toilets. Unable to find them he had relieved himself in the lift The Judge gave Mason two months to pay the fine. BAIL SET Bail was set at $2OOO for each of three men jointly charged with assaulting Richard James Derry with intent to injure him. They are Andrew David Thomas, aged 20, a machine setter; Michael James Williams, aged 24, a freezing worker; and David Allan Williams, aged 22, a chefs assistant

David Allan Williams and Michael James Williams are also charged with intentionally damaging Derry’s household goods; and Thomas with intentionally damaging the complainant’s television set

The police say the offences took place on November 4. In order to make the necessary inquiries, counsel (Mr E. Bedo) obtained a remand to November 28.

Sergeant G. G, Cleland while not objecting to bail, sought a surety.