Sentences for burglary of seashore baches

Press, 28 November 1984, Page 6

Sentences for burglary of seashore baches

Nelson reporter Two of four young people involved in breaking into baches bordering the Abel Tasman National Park, stealing from them, and destroying some of their contents — all to the value of $4700 — were sentenced by Judge Headifen in the District Court at Nelson yesterday. Toni Brendan Catlow, aged 19, an unemployed shop assistant, was sentenced to nine months jail after the Judge drew attention to his spate of recent offending. He had previously pleaded guilty to five charges of burglary and one of theft relating to the baches between October 31 and November 14.

The offences originated from a fishing boat skippered by Dennis Graham Roach, aged 19, a fisherman, who also pleaded guilty to four charges of burglary and two of theft. As a first offender on criminal charges he was convicted and sentenced to nine months periodic deten-

tion. A third defendant, Andrew Douglas Valk, aged 16, a fisherman, was dealt with in the Children and Young Persons Court on Monday. After he had pleaded guilty to four charges of burglary and Judge Headifen had heard a summary of the offences in which he was involved, the Judge recovened the court 33 a District Court and remanded him to that court for sentence on December 11. The fourth person, Michelle May Harrison, admitted a charge of burglary last week and was fined $3OO. In the summary given last week, the Court was told that Valk and Catlow accompanied Roach in the fishing boat. On various occasions they broke into the bach of Mr Richard Fowler (three times) smashing windows and doors and destroying property inside as well as stealing tools, machinery, an outboard motor, and two dinghys, one of which was

scuttled and the other set adrift to sink. They had also broken into baches owned by Mr M. J. Cook and Mr D. A. Freeth, causing damage on both occasions and stealing from the Freeth bach. The police sought compensation of $2794 for Mr Fowler, $lBO3 for Mr Freeth, and $99 for Mr Cook. Catlow, who appeared without counsel, was told this was his fourth appearance before the Court this year on anti-social offences. There was no excuse for the wanton destruction of other people’s property, said the Judge. Mr J. R. Jackson, for Roach, said that he had been trusted by his father to skipper the family’s third boat and had betrayed that trust The whole thing had snowballed and Roach was unable to control it. 5 Roach had already paid compensation of $llOO. He was a first offender on criminal charges. ?