3637 burglaries in six months, says judge

Press, 20 October 1987, Page 22

3637 burglaries in six months, says judge

Three thousand, six hundred and thirty-seven burglaries, involving stolen property worth $3.5M, were committed in Christchurch in the first six months of this year, said Judge Erber in the District Court yesterday. Of these, 654 had been solved by the police, leaving slightly more than 3000 not solved. Little blame could be attached to the police regarding this 18 per cent clearance .rate as their resources were already overstretched in controlling crimes of violence, said Judge Erber, However, the courts regarded burglary as a violent crime in which victims often felt their privacy violated by those who plundered their homes. "Serious burglaries will be treated by the courts with serious penalties,” he warned. These comments were made by the Judge when he sent Alistair Rex Campbell, aged 20, to prison for six months on two charges of burglary. The offences, on the

premises of Tuff Toys, and Hawes Joinery, Lid, had been committed out of boredom by his client, said counsel, Mr Richard Palmer. In the latter premises, according to the police. summary, glue had been poured over woodworking machinery which took $2OOO to clean up. A co-offender in these offences, who appeared last week, also was given a sentence of six months in prison. NINE MONTHS JAIL A man with what the judge said was an obvious drug problem was sent to prison for nine months for burgling two chemists shops last month. Kevin John Little, aged 26, unemployed (Mr Peter Dhyrberg), stole 3950 pills and tablets, worth $4OO, from the St Martins Pharmacy, while from the South Brighton Pharmacy he stole $77 worth of pills. ' Compensation of $1677 had been sought in respect of damage caused to both pharmacies. One of the offences took place a day before

Little was to be sentenced; the other the W afterwards, said the Judge. Mr Dhyrberg had sought a sentence of periodic detention. Between 3 pjn. last Friday and 7 a.m. yesterday 44 burglaries took place in the city which, said Judge Erber, indicated a long-standing epidemic. PEWODIC: DETENTION Unprovoked assaults on two men outside the Oxford Hotel earlier this month earned Leonard Christopher Grassam six months periodic detention.' Grassam, aged 20, a kitchen hand (Mr R. Glover), admitted the offences which took place on October 9. Detective Sergeant B. M. Roswell said one of the complainants was repeatedly punched and had his head pushed into the bonnet of a car. The' other victim was head-butted, kicked in the stomach, - and kneed, on the side of the head. This man suffered . a swollen left temple and face, said v Sergeant Roswell.