Shotgun pointed at police-dog handler

Press, 17 December 1988, Page 12

Shotgun pointed at police-dog handler

A man who twice fired a double-barreled shotgun in a house in Cashel Street and then pointed the weapon at an investigating police-dog handler, said he had the weapon for his own safety, said Detective-Sergeant Rick McCaskell in the District Court yesterday. Craig McAllister, aged 21, unemployed, who committed the offences on December 2, told police he was expecting a rival group at the house which might set fire to it, and stab the occupants. He was convicted by Judge Mahon and remanded in custody to December 20. Sergeant McCaskell said that about 12 a.m. on December 2 the defendant, who was at the house with five other people, went into a bedroom and came out with the shotgun. He stood in the middle of the room and fired two shots — one hit a cupboard, the other the back door. When police arrived to investigate, McAllister confronted the dog handler and pointed the shotgun at him. The dog handler yelled out that he was a police officer and that if the defendant did not put down the firearm he would release the dog. The defendant complied with the request. There was a live round in the breech, said Sergeant McCaskell. The defendant said, of the two shots fired, that he had not used the weapon before and was just testing it. STOLE CABLE An unemployed man told police he stole a quantity of copper cable, valued at $3500, which he planned to sell to get sufficient money to buy food and clothes for his infant daughter. Bryan William Pullan,

aged 30, committed the offence at 11 p;m. on December 14, said Sergeant McCaskill. The cable was the property of Lane Walker Rudkin, Ltd. The defendant, and an associate, were disturbed by a security officer while committing the offence. Because the cable was damaged, compensation of $3OOO was sought. A duty solicitor, Mr E. Bedo, said the offence was committed because the defendant was desperate to obtain money. Pullan was convicted and remanded to January 17 for sentence. A residential curfew was imposed. SHOPLIFTING Seven joint charges of shoplifting by two women, both of whom were first offenders, were committed because neither had any money for Christmas presents, said Sergeant McCaskell. Elaina Barbara Greenfield, aged 24, unemployed, and Pauline Reidy, aged 34, a solo mother, admitted stealing women’s clothing and perfume, on December 14. All the property was recovered.. The women were convicted and remanded to January 10 for sentence and a community service assessment. CHARGES DENIED Charges of indecently assaulting two girls, both aged 19, on a bus on November 11, were denied by Gerard John Watts, aged 52, unemployed (Miss K. Feltham). He was remanded to February 10 for a defended hearing. FIREARM OFFENCE A man who was angry at having to pay a $2 cover charge at a local hotel, went home and got a .303 cal. rifle because, he said, he had intended to return to shoot the doorman.

Instead, on the way back to the hotel, Graham Edmund Hunt, stopped at a fish-and-chip shop where he pointed the rifle at the woman assistant, said Sergeant McCaskell. Hunt, aged 35, then laid the rifle down and unloaded it while the assistant called the police. He was convicted of unlawfully possessing the rifle, and presenting it at the woman, and was remanded to January 24 for sentence. SUPERVISION Supervision for 12 months was the sentence given to Audra Gean Porter who, on the afternoon of November 29, stole 27 items of clothing, valued .at $934 from a city store. “Your conduct was totally inexcusable,” the Judge told Porter, aged 19, unemployed. Because of an altercation with her parents, Porter had left home without taking any clothes and had, said the Judge, decided to outfit herself with a fair amount of clothing at the retailer’s expense. SLUG PISTOL A fine of $6OO was imposed on a soldier who caused injury to a woman and two men in a hotel car park on November 4 by firing a .177 slug pistol while under the influence of alcohol. Edward Richter, aged 19, had acted in a totally undisciplined way, said the Judge. “I would have thought the Army would have taught you to respect firearms,” he said. The three complainants suffered bruising as a result of being hit by the slugs. The Judge ordered that half of the fine be paid to the woman and the two men. FIVE MONTHS JAIL Michael John Dixon earlier convicted on charges of being found

without reasonable excuse in the Arts Centre, doing an indecent act with intent to offend a female, and indecently assaulting the female, was sent to prison for five months. The Judge said he took into account that Dixon, aged 28, unemployed (Mr A. N. D. Garrett), had already been held in custody for four weeks. No summary of the offences, which took place on November 9, were read in open court “in the public interest.” The offences, said the Judge, were “quite disgusting” and were carried out while the defendant was serving a sentence of periodic detention. PRISON SOUGHT A woman presently serving a term of imprisonment asked the Judge, after pleading guilty to a Rotorua burglary, if she could have a prison sentence “but not a concurrent one,” she said. Deanna Jessica Roma, aged 31, unemployed, said that she wanted a 12month term to be cumulative to her existing sentence as she wanted to “get clear” of drugs. Roma, who did not want legal representation, was remanded in custody to January 11 for sentence. The Judge told her that without some background knowledge he was unable to indicate whether her wish would be granted.