Brothers sentenced for burglaries

Press, 1 August 1987, Page 7

Brothers sentenced for burglaries

Two brothers who were told in the District Court yesterday that their burglaries warranted a prison sentence were each sentenced instead to terms of periodic detention. This was because of the efforts they had made in establishing a successful wood contracting business, the Judge said.

Mark Nicholas Tate, aged 26 (Mr A. N. D. Garrett), was appearing for sentence on charges of burglary of the Farrier Waimak company’s workshop at Belfast, and a joint charge with his brother of burglary of McVicar Timber Group’s

workshop at Belfast, late last year. Judge Sheehan sentenced him to seven months periodic detention. Jonathan William Tate, aged 28, who was not represented by counsel, received a sentence of six months periodic detention on the joint charge with his brother of burglary of the McVicar’s premises. The two had pleaded guilty, before a scheduled trial by jury was to have taken place last week.

Evidence at the preliminary hearing, in relation to the burglary of the

McVicar Group premises was that tyres worth $5943 had been removed from the building, but were found in the vicinity after a burglar alarm had sounded and a nearby farmer had called the police.

Each defendant was sentenced separately. The Judge, after hearing submissions by Mr Garrett on Mark Tate’s behalf, said he had had in mind a prison sentence which was appropriate for the offences, and bearing in mind the defendant’s previous offences. However, matters contained in the pre-sentence

report, and counsel’s submissions, had decided him to leave the defendant in the community. “But it was a very close thing indeed,” the Judge said.

He said he took into account matters relating to the defendants’ business. At least that was a step in the right direction as far as both brothers were concerned. Prison sentences would completely negate the operation of such a business. NEIGHBOUR BURGLED A man who entered his neighbour’s house at 2.30 a.m. on April 13 and searched cupboards and a wardrobe for money was

sentenced to five months periodic detention on a charge of burglary of the house.

The defendant, Mark Anthony Chamberlain, aged 24, a sickness beneficiary (Mr P. N. Dyhrberg), pleaded guilty to the offence after a preliminary hearing. The police statement relating to the offence was that during his search of a wardrobe in the bedroom the defendant was disturbed by a child, aged seven. He told her to keep quiet and not tell anybody.

He then left after looking in the lounge.