Youth stole property valued at $26,000 ‘because of debts’

Press, 4 August 1987, Page 31

Youth stole property valued at $26,000 ‘because of debts’

A youth with no previous convictions committed seven burglaries from which property totalling $26,388 was stolen because, he told the police, he needed money to repay debts, said Sergeant W. P. Creasey in the District Court yesterday. Scott Mason Hanna, aged 17, a sickness beneficiary (Mr J. S. Halls) was convicted by Judge Erber and remanded to August 17 for sentence. As a condition of bail the Judge placed a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew on Hanna who was ordered to live at home with his parents. Sergeant Creasey said the defendant was arrested as a result of police inquiries into a spate of burglaries which took place in North New Brighton in the last three months.

The burglaries were admitted by Hanna.

Two associates also charged with the burglaries are to appear in the Children and Young Persons Court.

The stolen property had either been sold, given away, or stolen from where it had been stored. Compensation of $9628

was sought from Hanna, said Sergeant Creasey. CARPET RECOVERED

A roll of carpet, 12ft long, taken from the Arbitration Court building in Christchurch. was recovered on the lounge floor of the home of Brendon Maurice Walsh, said Sergeant Creasey. Walsh, aged 25, a joiner (Ms D. M. Shirtcliff) was convicted on a charge of receiving the carpet, valued at $1456. He told the police he paid $3OO for it.

Walsh was convicted and remanded on bail to August 17 for sentence. WOUNDING CHARGE A stabbing incident following an argument at a party in St Albans on Sunday night led to the appearance in the dock of Donald Stanley Hammond.

Hammond, aged 27, a process supervisor, was charged that with reckless disregard for the safety of others he wounded Christopher Karl Churcher.

Sergeant Creasey said the victim was in a comfortable condition in The Princess Margaret Hospital. Bail was not opposed.

An application for interim suppression of the defendant’s name was refused by the Judge. CHARGE DENIED A man apprehended in Linwood City Mall by a security guard, who was a martial arts exponent, denied charges of burgling the locker room of one of the shops in the mall, and assaulting the guard in order to get away. Kieron Michael Arlow, aged 29, unemployed, was remanded in custody to August 18 for a defended hearing. Bail was opposed by Detective Sergeant N. Higgison. COMPUTERS A plea of not guilty was entered by a woman accused of receiving computer equipment, valued at $14,500. Sharon Marie Green, aged 31, a beneficiary (Mr C. A. Ruane) was remanded , to August 18 for a defended hearing. She is charged with receiving the equipment, the property of R. J. Harris, Ltd, on July 31. CHARGE DENIED On a charge of using offensive language over the telephone to a volun-

tary worker, with whom his de facto wife had taken refuge, Ross Ernest Collins was remanded to September 2 for a defended hearing. Collins, aged 23, a freezing worker (Mr J. S. Halls) is charged with committing the offence on July 24. According to the police the complainant was receiving more than 200 telephone calls a day. Collins appeared for sentence in the afternoon on a charge of having a knife in his possession without reasonable excuse.

This involved him being found on the night of June 29 fully camouflaged in Army kit, with his face covered, and in possession of a large knife, near where his former partner was staying. The Judge sentenced Collins to 14 days in prison and he ordered that the knife be destroyed.

Mr Hall said his client and his former partner had parted. Collins wanted access to the child of the relationship and it was likely the dispute between the pair would continue.