$7500 bail for man on firearm charges

Press, 2 August 1985, Page 7

$7500 bail for man on firearm charges

Bail was opposed for a man charged with breaking and entering the Riccarton Road premises of Shooters’ Supplies, Ltd, on Tuesday from which an arsenal of weapons, valued at $20,000, was stolen. Mark Peter Rapana, aged 23, unemployed, was remanded without plea, on bail of ?7500 to August 8 when he appeared before Judge Bisphan in the District Court yesterday. Rapana is also charged with stealing a ?5500 vehicle, the property of Peter Townsend; selling four shotguns to an unauthorised person; unlawfully possessing 12 shotguns and four .22 calibre rifles; possessing four needles for the purpose of injecting drugs; and receiving a $l6OO stereo, the property of AVM Electronics. The police allege these offences occurred between July 27 and 31. Mr W. Rosenberg, a duty solicitor, sought bail for Rapana and said two sureties were available. Sergeant W. J. McCormick said bail was opposed even though the defendant had assisted the police in recovering most of the missing weapons. This assistance, he said, had not extended to Rapana’s revealing who were his co-offenders. Two or three others were believed to be involved. Sergant McCormick said that if bail was granted the officer in charge of the case asked for two sureties. The Judge said he would grant bail because the defendant had assisted the police and because his parents had specially come to court. Bail was set at $2500, with two sureties of $2500. Rapana was ordered to report daily to the police during the remand period.

Another man charged with receiving weapons, to a total value of $8492, was due to appear in court today, said Sergeant McCormick. MORPHINE OFFENCE Sufficient morphine to give himself six to seven intravenous injections was found when the police executed a search warrant at the Yarmouth Street address of Mark Earland Thomas, aged 30, unemployed, said Sergeant McCormick. Thomas (Mr G. R. Lascelles) admitted a charge of manufacturing morphine on June 5. He was convicted and committed in custody to the High Court for sentence on August 15. Sergeant McCormick said that when the police visited the Yarmouth Street address the defendant was found attempting to leave over a back fence. Inside the house the police found a quantity of laboratory equipment, chemicals, analgesics, and a bag of morphine powder. A large box containing laboratory equipment suggested to the police that the morphine - manufacturing process had just been completed before they arrived. The police seized 189 milligrams of morphine powder. Thomas told the police that he needed four injections a day and that the morphine was for himself, said Sergeant McCormick. DEPOSITIONS On a charge of abducting a woman, aged 20, last month, Kevin Moana Jarden, aged 39, a beneficiary, was remanded in custody to September 11 for the taking of depositions. At Jarden’s last appearance his counsel, Mr D. C. Fitzgibbon, said the charge would be “strenuously” denied.

Jarden is charged with committing the offence in Woolston. Mr Fitzgibbon said earlier that there was an “on again, off again, gone again” relationship between the complainant and his client. JAIL TERM Four months were added to the existing prison term being served by Manawanui Joseph Matthews, aged 24, after he was convicted of escaping from a Paparua Prison work party on July 23. Matthews (Mr A. N. D. Garrett) also admitted possessing a quantity of cannabis seeds. Sergeant McCormick said that as a result of information received, the defendant was apprehended at a Spreydon address where the cannabis seeds were found. Matthews had said he escaped because he wanted to see his girlfriend, said Sergeant McCormick. He had claimed he had found the cannabis seeds in a paddock on the way to the address. Mr Garrett said the escape had no aggravating features. The Judge jailed Matthews for four months on the escaping offence, and one month on the cannabis seeds charge, both terms concurrent. BURGLARY OFFENCES Cash totalling $2495 was stolen from the floor safe of a Ferry Road service station burgled by a Pukekohe. man and a Mount Eden prison escaper on July 15. Duncan Conrad Murray Frost, aged 26, unemployed (Mr E. Bedo), also admitted burgling a Linwood Avenue butchery the same day. From the butchery $2l was taken from the till after the defendant, and an associate, were disturbed

when attempting to drill open a floor safe, said Sergeant McCormick. Frost said the offences were committed to obtain money. He was also convicted on charges of possessing a cannabis plant, and breaches of periodic detention and probation. Frost was remanded in custody to August 14 for a probation report and sentence. Simon Allan Kerr, aged 24, also charged with committing the two burglaries, was remanded to November 12 for a defended hearing. ROBBERY CHARGE Anthony Paul Curtis, aged 29, unemployed, was remanded on bail of $2OOO to August 8 on a charge of robbery. Curtis is charged with another person with robbing Walter Lawrence Bradley of a billfold and $55 cash on July 23. Seeking bail for Curtis, Mr Rosenberg, a duty solicitor, said the defendant intended to defend the charge. STOLE MOTOR-CYCLE A man who admitted stealing a $4OOO motor-cycle told the police he had been using it for riding on dirt tracks at week-ends, said Sergeant McCormick. Brett Peter Savelkoel, aged 20, a labourer, was convicted and remanded on bail to August 15 for a probation report and sentence. Sergeant McCormick said the machine was stolen from a city car-park. Acting on information received, the police visited the defendant’s address where the stolen machine was found in a garage. Since taking it, Savelkoel had said, he had changed its appearance and had cut off part of the exhaust to make it noisier.