February sentence for parlour shooting

Press, 20 December 1985, Page 8

February sentence for parlour shooting

Jurisdiction was declined by Judge Frampton and a man he convicted in the District Court yesterday on charges relating to the shooting of a woman, in a Christchurch massage parlour, was committed in custody to the High Court for sentence early in February. John Pueata Siu, aged 27, a driver (Mr J. E. Hardie), admitted the offence, which took place at 6.20 a.m. on December 6. His victim, Susan Ann Voshaar, suffered multiple pellet wounds to her body and was operated on in Christchurch Hospital. Eight pellets were still in her liver, along with several other pellets in her body, and she had a permanent injury to her left hand, said Sergeant J. E. Dwyer.

She was not Known to Siu, or his friend, whom he accompanied to the massage parlour in Tuam Street.

Siu, who fired a sawn-off 3 luge shotgun through a into an office where Ms Voshaar and another woman had fled, said he could not understand why the gun went off as he thought the safety catch was on.

Siu had earlier been drinking with a friend at an

address in Stanmore Road. Several telephone calls were exchanged in relation to a domestic dispute with a woman in the sauna parlour, Sergeant Dwyer said.

It was following a verbal altercation, overheard by the defendant, that it was decided they would visit the sauna.

Without the knowledge of his friend, Siu put a single shot into a cut-down shotgun that he took along under his clothes.

In the sauna’s reception area they were met by two female employees. A heated argument ensued during which Siu pointed the shotgun in their direction. The two women ran into an office, locked the door, and called the police. Siu pointed the shotgun at the wall of the office and pulled the trigger. The shot penetrated the wall and hit Ms Voshaar, said Sergeant Dwyer. The two men ran off but were quickly apprehended. Siu said he had been “mad and irate” at having been abused by two females.

He was convicted on charges of causing grievous bodily harm to Ms Voshaar with reckless disregard for

the safety of others, and unlawfully possessing a sawn-off 12-gauge shotgun. BURGLARY CHARGE Bail was opposed for a man charged with the “smash-and-grab” burglary of the Lichfield Street premises of Raynor Vile, jeweller, from which property worth ?4500 was taken. Wayne Marashah Meehan, aged 18, described as a male model, was remanded in custody “in the public interest” to December 27. He is charged with committing the offence on December 19. Sergeant Dwyer said, in opposing bail, that in addition to the seriousness of the alleged offence, the accused was already on bail in respect of unrelated charges. DRUG CHARGES

Craig Francis Gurney, aged 20, unemployed (Mr E. Bedo), was remanded in custody to Deceniber 23 on eight drug charges including the manufacture and possession of morphine. Gurney, who did not plead, faces charges of manufacturing, and possessing, morphine, producing a substance containing morphine and other constituents

of opium, and the possession of eight needles and four syringes, a pipe, cannabis plant, and codeine. Police say the alleged offences took place between September 1 and December 3. ESCAPER Phillip Michael Robertson, described by Sergeant Dwyer as a “prolific offender” was remanded in custody to December 27. Robertson, aged 26, a beneficiary, is charged with escaping from the Central Police Station, and unlawfully taking a 51500 car on December 18. DAMAGE CHARGE

A man charged with causing 55000 worth of damage to property, and attempting to escape from Addington Prison, was remanded in custody to January 29. Brian Robert Welsh, aged 36, a sickness beneficiary, is charged with damaging furniture, the property of the Canterbury Inn, on October 21, and with attempting to escape on December 6.

Counsel, Mr D. C. Fitzgibbon, sought the remand to January 29 when his client faces a depositions hearing relating to a bank robbery. He indicated that one of the charges would be defended.