Jail on firearm counts

Press, 31 August 1985, Page 5

Jail on firearm counts

A man who appeared for sentence on a variety of offences relating to the burglary of a Riccarton shop from which $14,000 worth of firearms were stolen was jailed for two years by Judge Anderson in the District Court yesterday.

After the pronouncement of the sentence on Mark Peter Rapana, aged 23, unemployed (Mr M. J. Knowles), several of Rapana’s associates in the public gallery gave Nazi salutes and shouted “Sieg heil” before leaving the courtroom.

The Judge said he agreed with a police request seeking a deterrent sentence for such offending.

He said that with such dealing in firearms there was the very real risk that

the weapons could have fallen into the hands of persons who were neither competent, mature, nor responsible enough to handle them.

It was clear that the defendant’s personal circumstances must take second place when the community was at risk from such criminal activity, said the Judge. Rapana had earlier been convicted of burgling the Riccarton Road premises of Shooters’ Supplies, Ltd; selling firearms to an unauthorised person; unlawful possession of 12 shotguns, four rifles, and four hypodermic needles; stealing a $4OOO vehicle, and wilfully setting fire to it; and receiving a $l6OO stereo. The offences occurred between July 29 and 31.

Mr Knowles said it was admitted that the offending was serious and of a type to attract a custodial sentence.

Although his client stole the firearms to sell, the offending had not been either gang-related or con-frontation-related.

The weapons were not stolen to provide a gang armoury, and Rapana was not a member of a gang, said Mr Knowles.

Once apprehended Rapana had assisted the police in the recovery of some of the firearms, he said.

Sergeant W. J. McCormick told the Judge that the police sought a deterrent sentence. It had been a planned burglary. bolt cutters had been used, a vehicle had been stolen and used for the purpose and later set on fire, and the

recovery of some of the firearm’s was mainly a result of the quick arrest of the defendant. ASSAULT CHARGE

A woman was remanded on bail to September 6 on charges relating to an incident in Cathedral Square in which two policemen were attacked in a fracas on Thursday evening. Francine Anne Wrathall, aged 20. unemployed, was charged with assaulting a police sergeant in the execution of his duty, and with intentionally obstructing another policeman. Both policemen were bruised and scratched, and one had his clothing torn. A youth and a girl, both aged 16, will appear in the Children and Young Persons Court next week in connection with the incident.