Further assessment

Press, 9 May 1985, Page 15

Further assessment

A man, aged 25, charged with the attempted rape of a woman, aged 73, on April 30 was remanded in custody for further psychiatric assessment to determine whether he is under any particular disability.

The defendant, represented by Mr T. M. Abbott, appeared before Judge McAloon in the District Court yesterday. He was also granted interim suppression of his name.

Although a depositions date has been set for July 4, the defendant will next appear in court on May 22. The remand in custody is to Sunnyside Hospital and not Addington Prison. Mr Abbott had sought the further remand so that his client could be assessed in a hospital rather than a prison environment. The defendant, who was psychiatrically examined last week, had, to Mr Abbott’s surprise, been found fit to plead to the charge. Mr Abbott told the Judge that he had experienced great difficulty in obtaining instructions from the defendant.

Mr E. Bedo, the duty solicitor, who appeared for the defendant on his first court appearance, made the same observation and said the accused was unable to read, write, or even sign his name. IMPRISONMENT Six months in prison was the sentence given to a man of whom the Judge said he had no confidence of his ability to stay out of trouble.

Leo Hamilton, aged 21, a factory hand (Mr P. J. Venning), was earlier con-

victed on four charges of stealing property, to a total value of about $l5OO, mainly from vehicles. Hamilton had also admitted possessing cannabis leaf, and seeds.

The stolen property, which included golf clubs, a trundler, a radio-cassette eer, a clock radio, calcu•s, a 10-speed bicycle, and six sets of registration plates and ownership papers, were recovered at the defendant’s address.

Hamilton, in explanation, had told the police that he was a compulsive thief who was unable to leave things alone.

Mr Venning said his client was unable to offer an excuse for his offending. STOLE CAR Two men who admitted stealing an $lBOO car and property, worth $174, from it, were each convicted and remanded to May 22 for a probation report and sentence. Johannus Cornelius Van Der Heyden, aged 18, a scaffolder (Mr R. S. Peters), and David Paul Tootell, aged 20, a labourer (Miss E. H. B. Thompson), committed the offence on April 24. Sergeant G. C. Jones said the complainant’s wife saw the car being driven off from where she had left it parked in a Christchurch parking building. Two days later, at 11.30 p.m., the stolen car was seen being towed north along Burwood Road. The tow rope snapped and the car went out of control and crashed into a fence.

The incident was reported to the police by a taxi driver. The car was found to be without an engine, the

wheels had been exchanged, and a fishing rod, gumboots, an hydraulic jack, and roof rack had been removed. Acting on information received, the police visited Tootell’s address where the stolen property was recovered. The stolen engine and wheels had been fitted on to Tootell’s vehicle, said Sergeant Jones. BEHAVIOUR CHARGES Two of three unemployed men charged with behaving in a disorderly manner in Cathedral Square in circumstances likely to cause violence, were each remanded on bail of $lOOO to May 15. Shane Piripi Turner, aged 31, and Raymond Ken Lavery, aged 25, were granted bail.

William Arthur Houkamau, aged 21, was remanded in custody to the same date.

The three are charged with committing the offence on May 7. In the morning bail was opposed by Sergeant Jones who indicated that consideration was being given to the laying of a more serious charge. He said the alleged offence took place about 4.15 p.m. when two gangs had an altercation.

In the afternoon Sergeant M. P. Caldwell informed the Judge that it was his understanding that no further charges had been laid. Because of this, Mr W. Rosenberg, a duty solicitor, sought bail for what was a summary offence. During the period while the possibility of a more serious charge being laid was under consideration, the three defendants were, at the Judge’s direction, held in custody.