Credit cards stolen

Press, 11 September 1986, Page 5

Credit cards stolen

A man who took other people’s cheque books, and credit cards, and with them did “a grand tour of the North Island” was sent to prison for 12 months by Judge Hay in the District Court yesterday.

What was worse, he told Richard Kenneth Gill, was that these individuals had “no show” of getting their money back.

Gill, aged 33, unemployed (Miss C. Risk), had earlier been convicted on 24 offences relating to fraud, involving almost

$3OOO, committed during June and July.

Gill had admitted stealing a cheque book, and a Diners Club card, from two persons who gave him lifts while he was hitchhiking in the North Island and another cheque book from a third person at whose address he had stayed. With the cheques and charge card, Gill obtained accommodation, goods and services. Compensation of $2942 had been sought by the police. Compensation was not realistic, said Miss Risk.

She said various reports indicated that Gill had psychiatric problems. A request that her client undergo assessment at Odyssey House in the interim, before sentencing, was refused by the Judge.

PERIODIC DETENTION Periodic detention for eight months was the sen-

tence given to a man convicted of receiving two motor-cycles together worth $12,700. Michael Anthony Churcher, aged 25, a sickness beneficiary (Mr E. Bedo), offered no explanation for the offending, said Detective Sergeant R. Bruce. Sergeant Bruce said an $BOOO motor-cycle was stolen from Cathedral Square, and a $4700 machine from Colombo Street during June. Between June 30 and July 30 a person approached Churcher offering to sell the two motorcycles. The defendant agreed to take them by trading two cars, worth $4OOO, for them. Both machines had since been recovered, he said. ARSON CHARGE A man charged with wilfully setting fire to a

cottage at Motukarara, was remanded on bail of $2OOO to September 17.

Craig Louis Brown, aged 24, a factory hand, is charged with having committed the offence on July 17. He did not plead. The cottage was owned by Donald Maxwell Manson.

Bail was not opposed by the police.