Man tells of fear in P.O. armed robbery role

Press, 19 May 1987, Page 6

Man tells of fear in P.O. armed robbery role

A , man who told the police he had been involved in the armed robbery of the Merrin Street Post Office on January 8 because of his fear of the alleged main offender pleaded guilty in the District Court yesterday to robbing the sole post office teller of $3289 when armed with a pistol. Baden Keith Allpress, aged 21, unemployed, was jointly charged with the armed robbery with Christopher John Lewis, whom the police apprehended in Auckland loci wpplr Upon his plea of guilty to the charge yesterday Allpress was convicted by Judge Sheehan and committed to the High Court for sentence on June 4. Bail, sought by counsel, Mr R. S. Simes, was granted in the sum of $2500, with a similar surety. Sergeant M. P. Caldwell said that at 12.23 p.m. on January 8 a man entered the post office holding what appeared to be a firearm and presented it at the sole teller, Allan David Walsh, and demanded money to be placed in a bag he put on the counter. He left after receiving $3289. Police inquiries led to Allpress being spoken to on April 30. Allpress admitted a minor role in the robbery, saying he had driven a car to the post office and under threat from the main alleged offender had gone inside to purchase stamps. He then returned to the car and told the other person how many people were in the post office. The main offender then allegedly put on disguise and went into the post office while Allpress sat in the driver’s seat. The other person returned a few minutes later and they drove away. A few days later the other person gave Allpress $4OO. Sergeant Caldwell said Allpress told the police he did not touch the $4OO until a few weeks later when temptation made

him begin dipping into the money. Allpress said he knew the other person had been involved in a robbery and that the $4OO would have come from that He told the police he had been scared of the other person and had done everything under threat. Everything happened so quickly. • Mr Simes, successfully seeking bail, said Allpress had played a very minor role in the robbery. He had assisted the police in their Inquiries. He had very real fears, at the time the robbery was taking place, for himself and for his wife and young child because of threats made to him. IMPRISONMENT A sentence of nine months imprisonment was imposed on Michael Brian Eden, aged 21, unemployed, when he appeared for sentence on three charges. They were of breaking and entering Kerr Trading, Burnham, on March 30, driving while disqualified in Riccarton Road on April 17, and unlawfully receiving four mag wheels and tyres worth $5OO, when he knew they had been stolen, last November. Defence counsel, Mr D. H. Stringer, had sought in his submissions a sentence of periodic detention for the offences. The Judge said Eden had many convictions for theft and dishonesty, and five previous convictions for driving while disqualified. Offences of burglary and receiving, stolen property were all too prevalent in Christchurch, and a sentence of imprisonment was the only one the court could impose. Prison terms of nine months were imposed on each charge, to be served concurrently. On the disqualified driving charge Eden’s disqualification was extended by a year, to April 22, 1989. ASSAULT Saying that Richard John Lawson had to be taught a lesson, the Judge convicted and fined him

$5OO on a charge of assaulting a Ifr-year-old part-time of the Rollerland Skating Rink. The youth had ordered the defendant to leave the rink after a foot-tripping incident In default of the fine Lawson, aged 19, a sheet metal worker, Z-?was ordered to be imprisoned for six weeks. Half the fine is to be paid to the complainant ; Lawson had admitted the assault, which occurred after he had been ordered to leave the rink. As the complainant left the rink Lawson stopped in front of his motor-cycle and dragged him from his machine. The youth’s helmet was ripped off. During the episode the youth’s head struck a concrete post and he was knocked unconscious. He was allowed home from hospital after a head x-ray. When spoken to by the police, Lawson said he regretted the incident but was annoyed at being told to leave the rink. INDECENCY CHARGES Two further charges of indecencies with a boy were alleged against Lance Henry Cox, aged 44, unemployed. He had been remanded from last week on a charge of indecently assaulting a boy, aged 12, on May 9. -Z • Yesterday he appeared on further charges, relating to the same date of doing an indecent act, and having anal intercourse with a boy, aged 12. He was remanded on the three charges, without plea, to May 25, on renewed bail. THEFT FROM EMPLOYER Soon after beginning work as a typist-clerk at Huntsbury Food Services, Joanne Margaret Binnie, aged 17, now unemployed, failed to bank three bags of money totalling $2726. Binnie pleaded guilty to a charge of theft of the money from her employer between April 1 and April 30. She was convicted and

remanded on bail to June ‘ 4 for probation, reparation, and community service reports, and sentence. ' < Sergeant Caldwell said the defendant failed to show the three amounts on the monthly statement, and kept the money. She was co-operative when interviewed by the police, and said she had been on unemployment benefit before getting the job and was “desperate,” with little money. She decided to take the money, which was spent on furniture and. “going out” ” The money was not recovered, and full restitution was sought. > FRAUDS, THEFTS After gaining possession of two cheque books and a bankcard belonging to a woman, Diane Kay Prosser, aged 23, a solo mother, used them to commit 17 offences of false pretence, involving the purchase of items worth $3BOO, according to the police summary. Prosser admitted the 17 false pretence charges, relating to purchases made between March 14 and March 31, and a charge of unlawfully receiving two cheque books and a bankcard, on or about March 14, and two charges of theft of items from shops in New Brighton on March 7. On all charges she was convicted and remanded on bail to June 3 for a probation report and sentenc©. Sergeant Caldwell detailed the circumstances of the offences and said in relation to' the false pretence charges that Prosser at first denied, but later admitted coming into possession of the bankcard and cheque . books. She had then written out the various cheques and presented them to local merchants for purchase. Twenty-five cheques were written, but . the charges related to 17 offences for which complaints were received, involving her obtaining $3Bll worth of goods. Of these, ' $428 worth had been recovered from .■ i- ■

Prosser’s home. Sergeant Caldwell said Prosser refused to cooperate with the police in their inquiries, and would not say how she came into possession of the cheque books and bankcard the day after Z they were stolen, or where the property. had gone. She said most had been given away. . Restitution of $3383 was sought Property listed in the charges as having been purchased by false pretence included groceries, electrical goods, clothing, shoes,: cane items, a puppy, and cage birds. The thefts from two New Brighton shops included eight : pairs of babies’ socks. Prosser was in receipt of a domestic purposes benefit , . Her counsel, Mr’Mi J. Glue, said Prosser .was a solo mother, ' with a daughter, aged two. RECEIVED LIQUOR A man who was: apprehended by the police as he was driving off with liquor worth $1703, said to have, been stolen by others from the Waltham Arms Tavern about midnight on April 18, admitted a charge of receiving the liquor. . Z The defendant, Michael George McLennan, aged 23, a sickness beneficiary, was convicted and remanded to June 2 for a probation report and sentence. Sergeant Caldwell said McLennan was present when three others discussed burgling the tavern. The others left, returned with quantity of liquor, and left for a second load. The driver returned and told McLennan the two others had been apprehended by the police. McLennan then became involved by setting out to take the liquor to another flat. He was apprehended by the police while doing so. Counsel for McLennan said he had made a wrong decision to help a friend by putting the liquor in his car. It was a spur of the. moment thing.