Youth burgled Opawa pharmacy

Press, 23 February 1989, Page 18

Youth burgled Opawa pharmacy

A youth who admitted the aggravated burglary of the Opawa Pharmacy last month, when a converted car was driven through the front window, was convicted by Judge Hattaway and committed in custody to the High Court for sentence on March 9. In the District Court yesterday Rodney John Thoms, aged 17, unemployed (Mrs Angela Grant), admitted breaking and entering the pharmacy while in possession of a pistol, and attempting to rob Peter Neil Woodham, while armed with the pistol.

He was also convicted of unlawfully taking an $ll,OOO car, the property of Smiths City, Ltd, on February 9, and receiving a $2700 car telephone, on or about January 9. Detective - Sergeant Richard McCaskill said that after driving the converted vehicle into the front of the Opawa Pharmacy, Thoms entered and stole a quantity of pills. While he was inside, some members of the public took the keys out of the vehicle.

When he came out they told him he was not going anywhere. Thoms then pointed the pistol at them, but this was wrested from him and he was held until the

police arrived. At 9 p.m. on February 11, Thoms wearing a white cheesecloth mask, attempted to rob a security guard outside the Sandridge Hotel bottle store.

On finding that the bottle store takings had already been put in the security van, Thoms then ran off.

He later told police he could, and would, not have harmed anyone with the firearm because he had no ammunition.

All the offending was drug related. By signing the indictible charges, Thoms eliminated the necessity of a depositions hearing. (BEFORE JUDGE FRASER) FRAUD OFFENCES

Compensation of more than $6OOO was sought from a woman who admitted 104 offences of fraud.

Alarna Vera Barr, aged 25, committed the offending between July and October, last year. Sergeant McCaskill said it was an extensive series of offending by the defendant who used several stolen cheque books. Counsel, Mr M. J. Glue, sought bail for his client, a mother of two, who, he said, had no previous convictions for offending of this sort.

She was not the only

one involved in the transactions, but she was the only one to be appearing in court, he said. Barr was convicted and remanded on renewed bail to March 8 for sentence and a reparation report. The case was set down yesterday for a defended hearing, but Barr changed her pleas to guilty. DEPOSITIONS Trial by jury was sought by a man, aged 29, charged with sexually violating a girl, aged seven, and inducing her to do an indecent act on him. The accused, represented by Mr S. O’Neill, was remanded to June 13 for the taking of depositions. As a condition of bail he was ordered to undergo a psychiatric examination, and to have no contact with the complainant. Police allege the offending took place on various dates between November last year and January this year. CANNABIS Sixty-four well tended cannabis plants, l-2m high, were found by police at a Valley Road address occupied by Colin Grant Henderson, said Sergeant McCaskill. Henderson, aged 34, self-employed (Mr E. Bedo), admitted charges of cultivating. and

possessing cannabis on February 15.

More dried cannabis material was found inside the house as well as 45 cannabis seeds in a jar.

Henderson said he was a heavy user of the drug and had grown enough to last him for a year. He was convicted and remanded on bail to March 8 for sentence. CONDOM CHARGE A charge of stealing two packets of condoms, valued at $27.50, was denied by a rubber worker, aged 35. Robert John Main (Mr P. H. B. Hall), is alleged to have stolen the items from Deka, Ltd. He is also charged with possessing cannabis. He was remanded to April 4 for a defended hearing on both charges. FRAUD OFFENCES Interim suppression of name was continued for a former security guard convicted of fraudulently negotiating 23 cheques to obtain goods and services, to a value of $2487. The defendant, aged 25 (Mr P. B. McMenamin), opened a cheque account at a Whangarei bank with a small deposit, said Sergeant McCaskill. Between July 16 and September 1, last year, he issued 23 of them knowing there were insufficient funds to cover them. No other denosit was made.

The defendant had since been suspended from duty. Compensation of $2487, was sought, said Sergeant McCaskill. DAIRY BURGLED .

A crash helmet was used by Timothy Patrick Hawkins to smash the window of a Cashmere Road dairy from where he stole 16 magazines, said Sergeant McCaskill. Hawkins, aged 23 (Mr Glue), committed the offence at 1.20 a.m. on February 12. He was apprehended soon afterwards deeply intoxicated.

Compensation of $6BB was sought for the broken window. He was convicted and fined $4OO and ordered to pay compensation of $6BB. MORPHINE

Jennifer Ruth Wilson, aged 27, in whose bedroom police found a sachet containing a quantity of “Homebake” morphine was convicted and remanded to March 9 for sentence.

Wilson, a housewife (Mr P. H. B. Hall), said she had purchased the homebake for smoking. CHARGES DENIED

Charges of stealing $630 cash, and 41 cheque forms, from the Maori Affairs Department were denied by a woman, aged 18.