Prison for injuring

Press, 3 June 1989, Page 7

Prison for injuring

A man who assaulted another and then sparked a police hunt after he went bush on the West Coast has been sent to prison for 16 months.

Andre Vernon, aged 26, was appearing for sentence in the District Court before Judge Erber. The Judge said it was a very serious continuing assault in which Vernon cut the complainant’s face and arm with a flick knife, and then kicked him about the face and body while wearing steelcapped boots. Vernon had earlier been found guilty of injuring Andrew Michael Glen with intent, unlawful possession of a .303 calibre rifle, possession of cannabis, a breach of periodic detention, and escaping from Sunnyside Hospital. The Judge said he had intended to impose a sentence of 18 months in prison but had taken into account the two months Vernon had already been held in custody on the major charge. The injury offence, he said, was punishable by a maximum term Of five

years imprisonment. If Vernon was sincere in seeking the help of Odyssey House for his drug-alcohol addiction then he should inform the ■prison board of his intention, said the Judge. The stabbing took place at a campsite at White Horse Creek, 40km south of Westport, in February. Mr Glen’s stab wounds required stitches. Vernon eluded the police for three weeks before his recapture in Christchurch in March. Counsel, Mr Wolfgang Rosenberg, said his client, who had been under the influence of all sorts of drugs and alcohol at the time, had no recollection of the unplanned assault. A report from Sunnyside Hospital indicated that Vernon suffered a terrible addiction to drugs and alcohol, said Mr Rosenberg. Vernon, he submitted, was not a man given to violence. If a prison sentence was to be imposed then, he asked that it be kept as short as possible.

COMMUNITY SERVICE A woman earlier con-

victed of letting an escaped prisoner stay at her Southbridge home for four days was sentenced to 120 hours community work.

Susan Jayne Clements, aged 29, a solo mother (Mr Nigel Dunlop), had admitted harbouring Tamati William Gray to avoid arrest, and possessing cannabis. Gray, an escaper from Paparua Prison, slept on the couch at the defendant’s home.

Clements told police she let him stay because he had asked to. PERIODIC DETENTION

Because reparation had been made, a man was given six months periodic detention for fraud offences.

Cyril Ralph Richardson Wilson (Mr Tony Garrett), appeared for sentence on a number of charges of defrauding Postßank involving withdrawals from his account by a series of false deposits made through the use of his Link card. Mr Garrett said his client had sold an asset in order to make reparation in full.