Bail refused in arson case

Press, 22 May 1987, Page 4

Bail refused in arson case

Bail was refused for two young men charged with arson at the Christchurch Girls’ High School old site, after an application heard in chambers by Judge Anderson in the District Court yesterday. Daniel Raymond Tindall, aged 24, and Hemi Arini Mohi, aged 19, both unemployed, were jointly charged with wilfully setting fire to the old school buildings in Armagh Street between April 10 and April 20. They have both been further remanded to May 27. The Judge said that bail would be refused, for reasons given in chambers. Mohi and Tindall are also charged, jointly with John Kevin Fenn, aged 22, a sickness beneficiary, of wilfully setting fire to the same building between April 30 and May 6. On that charge, Fenn was remanded to May 26. He was granted bail of

$l5OO, with similar surety, and ordered to report daily to the police. THEFT OF CARS A search at the address of Wayne Jeffrey Crown, aged 17, unemployed, revealed four stolen cars and numerous car parts, the Court was told.

Crown faced nine joint charges of theft of motorvehicles to a total value of $54,460, one of receiving car seats to the value of $BOO, one of theft of an extension cord, and seven charges of using a Cashflow card with intent to defraud.

Counsel, Mr Philip Hall, entered pleas of not guilty on Crown’s behalf to three of the charges of car theft but pleas of guilty on all other charges. The police said that Crown and associates had stolen numerous vehicles from Christchurch and Timaru. The defendant’s involvement amounted to helping drive the cars

away from the scene of thefts and helping to dismantle and remove items from them for sale.

The stripped cars were then dumped at various places round Christchurch. In relation to the fraud charges, the police said that Crown admitted using the stolen Cashflow card, which he had purchased, with the PIN number, from an unnamed associate. The sum of $278 had been taken from the complainant’s account.

Crown was convicted on all of his pleas of guilty and remanded to May 28 for sentence. Bail was refused.

Crown’s alleged associates in the car-theft ring, Anthony Allan Newell and Darren Kent Gracey, also appeared yesterday. Gracey was granted legal aid and was remanded in custody, without plea, to June 4. Newell faces 28 charges, including 22 of

stealing cars to a total value of $170,562. Counsel, Mr Peter Dyhrberg, said that he had made substantial progress in discussing the charges with his client, but some questions remained. He therefore sought, and was granted, a further remand to this morning. SHOPLIFTING

The Judge declined to consider discharge, as suggested by counsel, in the case of Linda Christine Thom, aged 24, a charge hand, and Danielle Anne Numan, aged 18, a machine operator, who had each pleaded guilty to two charges of theft. Theirs was “straightout, deliberate theft with no mitigating circumstances whatsoever,” the Judge said. The police said the defendants had been apprehended after coming out of Glassons Northlands, Numan wearing a

jersey valued at $41.99 and Thom wearing a jersey valued at $54.99. Their bags were searched and contained a total of 13 pairs of knickers, valued at $82.69, which they admitted stealing from Woolworths Mark 11.

Both said they took the items because they did not have the money to pay for them, the police said. The defendants were each convicted and fined $l5O. DIESEL ON ROAD Michael Leo Nowacki, aged 17, unemployed, was charged with spreading about four litres of diesel oil on Moorhouse Avenue with intent to cause danger to property. Nowacki, who was not represented by counsel, pleaded not guilty and was remanded for a defended hearing on June 22. He was granted bail of $BOO, and ordered to report to the police three times a week.