Traffic officer not to prisoner’s taste

Press, 14 May 1985, Page 4

Traffic officer not to prisoner’s taste

While being apprehended by a traffic officer on suspicion of having driven a converted car, a prison escaper bit the traffic officer on a thigh, and then was sick and vomited on the officer’s leg. This evidence was given in the District Court yesterday when Richie Stuart Clutterbuck, aged 22, faced three charges arising from offences committed in January after he had escaped from Paparua Prison. Judge Frampton extended the defendant’s prison sentence by a total of six months, when sentencing him on charges of unlaw-

fully taking a car valued at $5700 on January 10, and driving while disqualified in this car, and assaulting Traffic Officer R. M. Neil, who was trying to apprehend him, on January 11.

His disqualification from driving was extended by a year, to August, 1988. The defendant originally had denied the charges and they were heard as a defended fixture yesterday. However, part-way through the hearing of prosecution evidence, he changed his pleas to guilty to the three charges. His counsel (Miss E. H. B.

Thompson), explaining the defendant’s changes of plea “midstream,” said that he had no recollection of the incident. He had awakened in the police station after having apparently escaped from prison, and “got up to this mischief” after escaping.

Miss Thompson said reports indicated that the defendant suffered memory lapses and blackouts because of his alcohol and drug abuse. She sought a concurrent prison sentence to that he is already serving.

However, the Judge extended the defendant’s

prison sentence by six months. The Judge said the defendant’s consumption of alcohol had not rendered him incapable of driving a car, or of knowing what he was doing. If he did not wish to spend most of his life in prison the defendant was the only person who could stop this occurring by stopping committing crimes, which incurred further custodial penalties. Sergeant W. J. McCormick prosecuted at yesterday’s hearing of the three charges. Prosecution evidence was

that the defendant was pursued by a traffic patrol car while driving a car at high speed. The car was later found to have been unlawfully taken the day before. The defendant stopped the car and ran off and in the ensuing struggle when Traffic Officer Neil tried to apprehend him he bit the traffic officer on a thigh. The officer was off work for two days. Cross-examined, the traffic officer said the defendant was under the influence of drink at the time. He said the defendant was sick and vomited over the officer’s leg after biting his thigh.