Man accused of $39,000 theft

Press, 6 April 1989, Page 22

Man accused of $39,000 theft

A man accused of stealing 41 diamond rings, valued at $39,000, has been remanded in custody for a further hearing. Edison St Martin Rangi Smith, aged 25, unemployed, appeared before Judge Holderness in the District Court yesterday.

On the application of a duty solicitor (Mr Wolfgang Rosenberg), Smith was remanded in custody. The charge relates to an incident about 1 p.m. on Tuesday when two trays of diamond rings were snatched by a man from Kennetts Jewellers in High Street, Christchurch.

The thief carried the trays to a car parked round the corner. The car was driven off but collided with an oncoming car.

All the stolen property was recovered. Smith faces an unrelated charge of aggravated robbery. It is alleged that, with an associate, while armed with a sledge hammer and a baseball bat, he robbed Edward Mohi Huria of $2BBO in cash.

Police allege that this offence took place on March 20. He did not plead. FATAL ACCIDENT A modified rally car, driven by Terry Neville Clements, failed to take a bend on a shingle road on the Port Hills, rolled 400 metres down a steep hillside, and killed his passenger, said DetectiveSergeant Ray McCaskill. Clements, aged 21, an apprentice mechanic (Mr John Appleby), admitted causing the death of Jack Timothy Percival Ecroyd

by carelessly using a motor car at Okains Bay on February 5.

He was convicted and remanded on bail to April 21 for sentence.

Sergeant McCaskill said prior to the fatal accident the defendant, and his passenger, aged 22, had consumed a moderate amount of alcohol at a hotel in Akaroa.

After the accident, which occurred at 2 a.m., Clements managed to get out of the vehicle and go for help. By the time the emergency services arrived at the scene his passenger was found to have died of multiple injuries.

At the time of the accident the weather was misty. It was drizzling, and visibility was poor.

An examination of the defendant’s vehicle found it to be in a poor condition with two bald tyres and only one windscreen wiper, said Sergeant McCaskill. COMMUNITY SERVICE A woman, earlier convicted of fraudulently using cheques, has been ordered to do 40 hours of community service. Judge Holderness said he accepted that the offending by Gayleen Elizabeth Stevens was out of character and committed at a time when she was under considerable personal stress. It was clear from the large number of testimonials handed to him that Stevens was clearly held in high regard and was a person who had given much to the community, he said.

Reparation of $1640 had already been made by friends who had rallied

round his client, said counsel, Mr B. J. Pelham.

The offending, committed in October and November, last year, had arisen out of extreme stress and despair due to work, personal and financial difficulties then experienced by Stevens, said Mr Pelham.

She had used three Department of Social Welfare cheques valued at $2240, the property of her employer, to pay bills. FALSE ALARM A man who admitted making a false fire alarm call was ordered to pay compensation of $656. and a fine of $75. Carl Robert O’Brien, aged 19, unemployed (Mrs A. M. Edwards), had, on March 30, rung the Fire Service to say there was a fire at a sleepout at a house in Centaurus Road. Later the defendant told the police that he wanted "to get even" with the occupants of the Centaurus Road address.

Prior to making the false telephone call O’Brien, and some friends, had been drinking.

In imposing the fine the Judge told O’Brien that it had been an extremely foolish act which had put a lot of people to a great deal of trouble. THEFT CHARGE

A branch manager charged with stealing property worth $2565 from his employer, Noel Leeming, Ltd, was remanded without plea to April 19. Harry Bishop, aged 47 (Mr R. E. Simes), is alleged to have committed the offence between September 1986, and last month.