Man on drug counts

Press, 19 April 1985, Page 8

Man on drug counts

Charges of possessing heroin, cannabis plant, and a syringe were laid against Paul Raymond Hocking aged 25, unemployed, in the District Court yesterday. Hocking (Mr S. C. Barker), pleaded guilty to the charges and was convicted and remanded to May 2 for a probation officer’s report and sentence. His bail of $6OOO was continued. The prosecutor, Sergeant J. Claridge, said that the police had found in Hocking’s possession on March 27 six milligrams of heroin mixed with six milligrams of caffeine. Hocking had told the jolice that he had injected lis arm with heroin twice, after buying the drug for $lOO. He had denied being a heroin addict and expected the amount of heroin he had bought to last for four days. Judge Pain said that “some sort of counselling” was warranted for Hocking. JAIL FOR BURGLARY Peter Rafferty, aged 35, a sickness beneficiary (Mr W. Rosenberg), was sentenced by Judge Hattaway to six months imprisonment on each charge, to be followed by 12 months probation. Each of the burglaries, committed in Wellington, followed a pattern for which a period of imprisonment was inevitable, the Judge said. Rafferty appeared to be dependent on alcohol and

needed treatment for this, he said. He put Rafferty on probation on the special condition that he receive treatment for alcoholism. ASSAULT ON POLICE Six weeks imprisonment was imposed on Michael Toto, aged 22, unemployed, after being convicted of assaulting a woman constable. Toto also pleaded guilty to two charges of resisting the police and one of possessing cannabis. Toto and three other Mongrel Mob members have denied a charge of rioting outside the Black Power gang headquarters in Colombo Street last month. The four defendants will appear at a defended hearing next month. THEFT CHARGES A man facing two charges of theft and two of fraud was remanded to May 9 on a bail of $lOOO. His name was suppressed. The man is charged with using a B.N.Z. cheque number to obtain $2975 and altering a document from $175 to $475 with intent to defraud. He is also charged with the theft of $423 and $475 from the New Zealand Government during February. Judge Pain said that in view of the apparently serious nature of the charges he appreciated that the defendant’s family was likely to be affected if his name was not suppressed. The defendant did not plead.

BURGLARY Justin Stephen Spain, aged 18, a sheetmetal worker, pleaded guilty to seven charges of burglary and theft. He was charged with stealing items from cars and Railway Corporation premises and burgling Heathcote Medical Rooms. Sergeant Claridge said that the police searched the ' defendant’s home on March • 10 and recovered some of the stolen goods. “ The defendant was con- • victed and remanded to May 2 for a probation - officer’s report and sentence, on bail of $lOOO. CHARGES OF FRAUD ; Thirteen charges of using • and attempting to use a ’ credit card fraudulently were laid against Fran Patricia Sullings, aged 24, a ; sickness beneficiary. Sullings (Mrs D. E. ' Shirtcliff) pleaded guilty to the charges, involving goods valued at $646. Sergeant Claridge said that Sullings told the police she was given the card by two unknown males. She was remanded on bail to May 2, for sentence. CHARGES OF INJURING > A woman pleaded not guilty to two charges of injuring a child, aged six months. Judge Pain ordered continned suppression of her -• name. She was remanded to July ■ 22, on continued bail, for a defended hearing. Z.