Guilty plea on assault of guard and escape

Press, 29 January 1988, Page 8

Guilty plea on assault of guard and escape

A prison guard at the Tongariro Corrective Training Centre required eight stitches to a head wound, suffered extensive bruising, and was off work recuperating for a week after being attacked by two inmates, said Ser-

geant K. Morrison in the District Court yesterday. Anthony Reihana, aged 19, pleaded guilty to escaping from the centre last month, and assaulting the guard in order to escape. He was convicted by Judge Hattaway and remanded in custody to February for sentence. Reihana, and an associate, Anthony Shane Hepi, aged 17, attacked the guard who confronted them after they broke out of their hut. Reihana hit the guard with his fists, broke a towel rail over his head, and the pair kicked him several times as he lay on the ground, said Sergeant Morrison. The defendant told the police he escaped to attend an unveiling at Kaikoura, and because he was having a hard time at the centre. Following his escape, the defendant made his way to Christchurch where he was arrested after giving himself up to the police. The associate, Hepi, is for sentence on the two offences today. DRUG OFFENCE A man who admitted selling two pounds of cannabis to a person he declined to name said no money changed hands, but that he had been promised $lOO once this person had sold it, said Sergeant Morrison. Shane Kevin Griffiths, aged 34, self-employed (Mr A. N. D. Garrett), was convicted and remanded to February 11 for sentence. Sergeant Morrison said that after keeping observation on the defendant’s caravan, the police searched it and found more cannabis, a smoking pipe, and a set of scales. Griffiths said he had given the two pounds of cannabis to a visitor as a favour and that no money had changed hands. Griffiths said he was a regular smoker of can-

nabis but was not a dealer. FRAUD OFFENCES Goods and services totalling $1492 were fraudulently obtained by a university student who at the time of committing the 25 offences was, he told the police, “desperate” for money. Michael James Dann, aged 18 (Mrs Hey), was convicted and remanded to February 11 for sentence and a reparation report. After opening a cheque account in a false name at the university branch of the Bank of New Zealand, Dann fraudulently negotiated cheques during September and October, last year. He obtained pizzas, groceries and clothing, stereo gear, and used cheques to pay for ski-ing fees at Mount Hutt. When spoken to by the police on January 14, Dann admitted his offending. Property amounting to $642 was recovered at the defendant’s address. Compensation of $853 was sought from the defendant, said Sergeant Morrison. DRUG PROBLEM An unemployed man found in possession of lysergide, cannabis oil, and cannabis plant on December 23, last year, admitted to the police he had a drug problem. Haden Joseph Sparrrow, aged 18, was also convicted for receiving an electric drill, valued at $l2O, and an electric calculator, valued at $2OO, the property of Winstone (5.1.), Ltd. He was remanded for sentence on February 11. Sergeant Morrison said the stolen property, and the drugs, were found when the police visited the defendant’s address. He said he had bought the items in hotels. Sparrow also said he smoked half an ounce of cannabis a week, said Sergeant Morrison.

PERIODIC DETENTION It was not a commercial enterprise and there was no suggestion of his client supplying the drug, notwithstanding the number of cannabis plants found at his address, said counsel, Mr S. C. Barker. Robert Lance Ewart, aged 36, unemployed, was sentenced to periodic detention for eight months following his earlier conviction of cultivating and possessing cannabis. When the police searched the defendant’s Cobra Street property on January 11, they found the cannabis plants 10cm to Im high growing among tomatoes in a glasshouse. A further 93 seedlings were found growing in two boxes, four plants were growing in the garden, and 51 grams of dried cannabis leaf was found in a fowl house. Ewart maintained the drug was for his own use. The Judge noted it was the defandant’s first court appearance in 10 years. SUPERVISION A prolonged assault on his de facto partner by David John Linton, which began at Little River and resumed on their return to Christchurch, was the result of two dry alcoholics lapsing on the same night, said counsel, Mr J. H. M. Eaton. To a large extent, the defendant, and the complainant, were equally to blame for the fighting which followed “heavy” consumption of liquor at the Little River Hotel on New Year’s Eve, said Mr Eaton. Linton was sentenced to supervision for 18 months, during which time he was to undergo such treatment and/or counselling as was directed. The Judge had been told that the de facto relationship had ceased and that Linton had enrolled as an inpatient at a North Island drug rehabilitation centre.