W. Coast fugitive on remand

Press, 30 March 1989, Page 16

W. Coast fugitive on remand

A man who went bush on the West Coast for three weeks after an alleged stabbing, was yesterday remanded in custody for a week. In opposing bail for Andre Vernon, Sergeant Robin Scott told the District Court that the police had fears for the safety of the accused.

Vernon, aged 26, had said he would not be held in custody in any prison in New Zealand, Sergeant Scott said. The defendant is accused of wounding Andrew Michael Glen with intent to injure him, at White Horse Hill, south of Punakaiki, on March 5.

Vernon then went bush in the White Horse area and was hunted by police for three weeks before being arrested in Christchurch at the week-end. DRUG OFFENCE

An unemployed man found to have two pounds of cannabis in his possession, made up in one ounce bags, told the police he intended to sell the drug so he could pay for a gravestone, said Sergeant Scott.

Michael Alexander Aitken, aged 28 (Mrs Angela Grant), was convicted and sentenced to periodic detention for four months.

Sergeant Scott said the cannabis was found when the police searched his Barbadoes Street resi-

dence on March 21. Aitken told the police he paid $2BOO a pound for the cannabis. CHARGES DENIED

An Ansett airline traveller has denied charges relating to an incident in which he told a fellow passenger that he had a bomb in his bag. The defendant, aged 60 (Mr P. J. O’Donnell) is also charged with wasting police time with the incident, which occurred on February 27. He was remanded, on renewed bail, to April 21 for a defended hearing.

Mr O’Donnell said his client, as a condition of bail granted earlier, had advised Air New Zealand of the alleged offence. The defendant, who was granted continued interim suppression of his name, normally travelled to and from Wellington in connection with his work. This was usually by Ansett. Now, as a result of the alleged offence, he. was known to Ansett staff.

The suppresssion order was initially sought because of a potential psychiatric problem the defendant had. FRAUD CONSPIRACY

Compensation of $7OOO was sought from a woman who admitted conspiring with others to defraud a bank by presenting a cheque in which details of the name and amount had been altered. Annmarie Elizabeth Ex-

eter, aged 21, a domestic purposes beneficiary (Mr John Appleby), was convicted and remanded on bail to April 12 for sentence.

Sergeant Scott said the defendant went into a branch of Trust Bank and deposited the cheque into her account. The original cheque’s details had been chemically erased.

Exeter withdrew $5OOO in cash. She then handed the money to a man outside who gave her, and a female associate, $5OO each.

The next day, Exeter withdrew $2OOO which she split with a female associate.

The defendant told the police she had not altered the cheque but had merely banked it into her account. ROBBERY CHARGE

Bail was strongly opposed for a man charged with robbing another man of $2BBO while armed with a sledgehammer and a softball bat.

Sergeant Scott said serious charges were pending against Mark Richard Whittaker, who is alleged to have committed the offence on March 20. Whittaker, aged 28, a part-time fisherman (Mr Tim Fournier), was remanded in custody to May 9 for a pre-depositions conference.

He is also charged with possessing cannabis leaf on March 24.