Home should be free from ‘society’s predators’—judge

Press, 10 January 1987, Page 4

Home should be free from ‘society’s predators’—judge

A householder’s home was one place in which he or she should be left in peace and free from society’s predators, said Judge Erber in the District Court yesterday, when he jailed a man for two years and three months. The defendant, Pierre James Manning, aged 28, unemployed, was appearing for sentence after having ' pleaded guilty to the theft of a car from Northlands Mali car park on December 9, and two house burglaries and the theft of beer from a private garage, all in the early morning of December 21, using the car he had stolen. Manning also admitted yesterday a charge of committing a breach of a periodic detention order imposed last August in Masterton. On the charges of breaking and entering a dwelling, unlawfully entering another dwelling, and theft of the car, Manning was given a prison sentence of two years. He was also ordered to take treatment, as directed, for alcohol abuse. On the charge of theft of beer worth $32 from a private garage he was convicted and discharged. He was given a cumulative term of three months imprisonment for the breach of the periodic detention order. On the car theft charge Manning was disqualified from driving for. a year. The police summary, read when Manning appeared last week, said that after stealing the car

he painted it and fitted different registration plates. When found on December 21 near where the burglaries had been committed, he said he intended keeping the car. Manning broke into one house at 3.30 a.m. on December 21 and took property and money. He then entered the garage of a nearby house and stole the beer. At 5 a.m. he entered another house through an open window. An occupant awoke and Manning made oft \ He was found by the police hiding in the car. Questioned, he said he needed the money to go on holiday. Mrs D. M. Shirtcliff, for Manning, said his offending related to his alcohol and drug addiction, and he had sought treatment for this. The Judge said Manning had stolen the car intending to keep it In the early morning of December 21 he had broken into a house in which two elderly persons were asleep and stole a great deal of property from them. The Judge said the occupants also were asleep at the second house Manning entered. He said the car theft was serious, but far more serious was his breaking into the house of elderly people, who were particularly vulnerable and found this a frightening experience. This was Manning’s sixth appearance in court for burglary, and he had also appeared on three other occasions for other offences of dishonesty.

The . Judge said he had noted the contents of a letter written to him by Manning, but the public’s interests took precedence over Manning’s. A householder’s own home was a place in which he or she expected to be left in peace and free from society’s predators, he told Manning. FIREARMS STOLEN Firearms and other sporting equipment worth $5140 were stolen from a gunsmith’s shop in Victoria Street which Shayne Gordon Clifford Holt, aged 17, a labourer, broke into in the early morning of October 8 last year, Detective Sergeant R. A. Bruce said. Holt admitted this and three other burglaries. The gunsmith’s shop was Ballingers Firearms, and the other premises were Stables Tearooms, in Edgeware Village, broken into on August 9 and again six days later, and the Fruit Bowl in Edgeware Village, broken into on August 10. Holt was remanded in custody to January 16 for a probation report and sentence. The police summary relating to the burglary of the firearms shop was that Holt went to the shop at 1 a.m. and tried to kick in the front window. He then took an axe he found at a nearby building site and broke the window. Inside, Holt took several firearms from their racks and took these to where he lived nearby. He then returned with an associate and took more firearms, ammunition and other sports equipment

Several trips were needed to take stock to where Holt lived. The value of property taken was $5140. A little of the ammunition, some clothing, and a knife had been recovered from Holt Holt admitted breaking into the shop and said he did not know where the stolen rifles and other property not recovered were, Detective Sergeant Bruce said. Damage of $256 was caused to the shop window. The other three burglaries also involved Holt’s breaking windows to gain entry. He took cigarettes and confectionery worth $456 from the tearooms, and there was $350 damage to the windows. Cigarettes and confectioneiy worth $250 were also taken from the fruit shop, and damage of $l4O caused to the window. THREATS ALLEGED An unemployed jockey denied charges of threatening to kill, and assaulting with intent to injure Gloria Anne Bradley, and assaulting Paula Malzard. The defendant, David Ernest Reed, aged 33, was remanded to March 27 for a defended hearing. Bail of $2500 in his own recognisance, with a similar surety, was granted. The charges relate to incidents on the night of January 2.' A police application for the charges of threatening to kill, and assaulting with intent to injure Gloria Bradley to be withdrawn, was refused by the Judge. The request was made because this complainant did not wish to proceed with the charges or give evidence against Reed. Detective Sergeant Bruce said this had placed the prosecution in an embarrassing position. After being shown a statement from this complainant, the Judge said that notwithstanding her comments the charges were serious and the statement did not retract any of the original allegations against Reed. The Judge said the request was made out of sympathy for the defendant, but that was a matter for the court, not the complainant He directed that the complainant’s statement remain on the file for the defended hearing.

PAWNED RING A youth who pawned a $lOOO engagement ring given to him by his girlfriend and belonging to her foster mother was given a suspended sentence for unlawfully receiving the ring. The defendant, Christopher Paul Baker, aged 18, an apprentice electrician, admitted receiving the ring, on January 5. He was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence within a year if called upon, and to pay $2OO towards the cost of his prosecution, and restitution of $l4O he obtained from selling the ring. Detective Sergeant Bruce said that after the girl took the ring the two went into the city and called at several shops trying to sell it Eventually the ring was sold- to a jeweller for $l4O. The ring was recovered by the police. Baker admitted knowing the ring had been stolen and said he wanted money, to go flatting. Mr L. N. O’Reilly, for the defendant produced several references and said he was an immature, naive young person whom it would be thought with his background, would have avoided this situation. He had terminated his relationship with the gitl. Counsel sought a discharge without convictldn, saying the defendant had a good background and was not likely to offend again. The Judge said that the best thing that had come out of the incident had been that Baker had stopped seeing the girl; who was a "dangerous” person so far as he andprobably the public were concerned. YOUTHS CHARGED ’ Two youths appeared in the Children and Young Persons Court yesterday charged with breaking and entering the Southbridge Super Discount Store late last Tuesday evening. - % • Both were aged 15. One will turn 16 next week ’ Judge McAloon remanded them without plea to January 28. >