Community work ordered

Press, 28 July 1987, Page 23

Community work ordered

The secretary-treasurer of a meat firm’s sickness benefit fund was ordered to do 200 hours of community service when he appeared for sentence on a charge of stealing $13,400 from the fund. It was a “mean, despicable” offence, said Judge Willy to George Hamilton, aged 60 (Mr J. J. Daley), who appeared before him for sentence in the District Court yesterday.

In addition to community service the Judge ordered the payment of $13,400 compensation by an initial payment of $lO,OOO and thereafter on an approved repayment scheme.

Counsel, Mr Daley, submitted that a sentence short of imprisonment could be imposed. Hamilton had already paid $lO,OOO into his trust account for payment to the complainant organisation.

This sum had been put together using Hamilton’s superannuation after 18 years with the firm, and proceeds from the sale of his car.

According to the police summary Hamilton wrote out 22 of the fund’s cheques, each for $650, which he had paid into his own bank account.

The $650 figure was mostly for bogus funeral benefit payments made to members. The defendant told the police the offending started when he was short of funds and things got out of hand.

IMPRISONMENT

Imprisonment was the only possible sentence for a man with a significant drug problem convicted on charges of theft,

fraudulently attempting to obtain prescription medicines from a doctor, and a breach of periodic detention.

Paul Andrew Carrodus, aged 22, unemployed (Mr J. W. Appleby) had a history of offending which had included sentences of prison and periodic detention, said the Judge.

The defendant stole a cassette radio from a parked car in Greymouth. Mr Appleby said the reason his client breached a periodic detention order was out of fear of physical violence from a gang member. PERIODIC DETENTION There was little punitive value to imposing a fine which, according to counsel for Wayne Vincent Jones, would be paid by Jones’ father, said the Judge. Jones, aged 23, a clerk (Mr J. W. Appleby) was sentenced to periodic detention for six months. He had earlier admitted stealing 10 portable colour television-radio-clocks, valued at $4999, from his employer, The Warehouse, in Lincoln Road, in May.

What made the offending worse was that Jones stole the items, at the request of a receiver he met in a hotel, for personal gain. "You need something of a shock to teach you to keep your hands off other people’s property,” said the Judge. Mr Appleby had sought the imposition of a fine. He said six of the stolen units had been recovered and so no compensation was sought. Four were sold by the receiver who had already been charged, he said.