Driver failed for fatal crash

Press, 22 May 1986, Page 15

Driver failed for fatal crash

Two months in prison was the sentence given by Judge Hattaway in the District Court yesterday to a man earlier convicted at Rangiora of carelessly using a motor vehicle, causing death, and driving with an excess bloodalcohol level. Rick John Murray, aged 34, a panel beater (Mr S. C. Barker) was also disqualified from holding or obtaining a driver’s licence for two years. Mr Barker said as a result of the accident Murray had spent two months and a half in hospital with a broken hip. His 1931 modified car,

valued at $24,000, was now, as a result of the accident, only worth $3OOO. As it was not insured Murray had effectively lost $21,000, said Mr Barker. The fatal accident occurred about 3.15 a.m. on January 5 when Murray and his front seat passenger, Valerie Ann Cooper, were travelling along Tram Road. Three hundred metres from the Jacksons Road intersection, Murray’s car veered on to the wrong side of the road. Murray overcorrected and the car veered across the road into a ditch. Although he braked hard he was unable to stop the car hitting a granite culvert head on. The woman passenger died from her injuries. Murray was treated at Christchurch Hospital for his injuries. A blood sample showed a reading of 116 milligrams of alcohol to 100 millitres of blood, said the police summary. DETENTION Periodic detention for five months was the sentence given to a first offender, who earlier admitted stealing computers and accessories valued at $18,690 from his employer

between September last year .and last month. i Stephen Ralph Whittle, < aged 27, a furniture 1 polisher (Mr S. C. < Barker), was for sentence on five charges of theft as 1 a servant, and one charge i of theft by failing to ac- i count 1 As well as periodic detention, Whittle was ' placed under supervision for 12 months and ordered to place his finances under the control of his probation officer. Mr Barker said credit should be given to his client, who initially faced only one charge but who then volunteered other offences to the police, and helped recover all the property. It was then that Whittle was charged with the other offences. In his explanation to the police, Whittle said he had intended selling the property to get himself out of financial difficulties. Mr Barker said Whittle had overcommitted himself, and saw his course of action as an easy way out of his difficulties. i SEX CHARGE On a charge of having sexual intercourse with a girl, aged nine, a man, aged 26, was remanded to i July 14 for the taking of depositions.

Interim suppression of name was granted the defendant who is alleged to have committed the offence on April 9. Counsel, Mr R. J. Murfitt, said that the mother of the complainant was available as a surety for his client Bail was set at $lOOO with surety of the same amount DAMAGE Two men convicted oi intentionally damaging a motor-cycle, and stealing accessories from it were each fined $3OO, and ordered to each pay $5O compensation for damage done to the machine. In addition, Maurice Noel Coppard, aged 22, a timber machinist and Wayne Thomas Cameron, aged 23, a freezing worker (Mr C. A. Ruane), were ordered to make payment immediately, otherwise they would spend one month and 14 days in prison. Sergeant Max South said at 12.40 a.m. on May 17 the defendants were seen kicking a $250 motor-cycle at the intersection of Tuam and High Streets. They were also seen to remove items valued at $75 from the machine, and put them in a car. Compensation of $lOO was sought in respect of

f damage done to the i motor-cycle. I Both defendants, who 5 had earlier been drinking, < thought the motor-cycle . had been abandoned, said r Mr Ruane. s Neither could recall r kicking the machine, he said. ) ASSAULT CHARGES > Two men charged with assaulting Jason Cumming McDonald with intent to f Injure him, were each i a remanded on bail to May g 28 - e No pleas were entered j by Michael John Maun0 sell, aged 21, unemployed, e or Douglas Malcolm < Woods, aged 19, a benee ficiary. a They are charged with i d committing the offence on 1 , May 20. g FRAUD CHARGES ( James Gerard Donnelly i e who faces seven charges , of fraud involving the preJ sentatlon of cheques to a i 4 face value of $959, was remanded to June 4, with- ; ti out plea. I y Sergeant South sought > e the two-week remand be5 cause further charges I .. were pending. i fi Donnelly, aged 21, un- 1 employed, is charged with o committing the offences 1 t between April 24 and May i , 3. Most of the alleged j ’ offending was to obtain 1 3 liquor, the Court heard. 1 f Bail was set at $l5OO. 1

Mark Joseph Robertson, aged 18, self-employed, who faces three fraud charges involving $466, was also remanded, without plea, to June 4. He was allowed bail of $l2OO. PRISON TERM A man earlier convicted of breaking and entering the Lincoln home of a woman, aged 78, from which property worth $1425 was removed, was sent to prison for 10 months. Shane Brian Barwell, aged 18, unemployed (Mr M. J. Glue) admitted the offence which took place * on the night of April 29. -» The Judge said Barweir had built up “quite a list”of previous convictions. In October, last year, he had.. received a nlne-month prison sentence for three" burglaries “and it appears you were still bn parole"* when the latest offence took place. Mr Glue said Barwell agreed that there could be no alternative to al custodial sentence. He asked that such a term be short and finite in the hope of assisting in Barwell’s rehabilitation. When Barwell was found by a police dog in a nearby paddock, he told police he did not go inside the woman’s house but had acted as a lookout for two associates.