Guilty plea to charge of robbing T.A.B.

Press, 22 December 1989, Page 17

Guilty plea to charge of robbing T.A.B.

With his face disguised and carrying a travel bag and a .177 air pistol, Nathan Horua entered the Merivale branch of the T.A.B. and robbed an employee. Horua, aged 34, unemployed, pleaded guilty in the District Court yesterday to charges of robbing the employee, Beverley Withers, of $l7OO when armed with an air pistol, last Saturday evening, December 16. He also admitted having unlawfully taken a utility vehicle.

Judge Erber remanded him in custody to the High Court for sentence on February 8. Detective Sergeant Neville Higgison said Horua drove to the T.A.B. branch in the utility vehicle, which he had unlawfully taken the previous day. The branch was open and trading.

He entered the premises about 7 p.m., wearing a hood covering his face and carrying a travel bag and air pistol.

He demanded money and told customers not to intervene. He Zook $l7OO and left, driving to Elmwood Park nearby where

he got into a second vehicle, driven by another person. The vehicle was chased through city streets. Horua was apprehended leaving a car park in Riccarton. The money and pistol were found nearby. The driver of the second vehicle was still sought by the police. The utility vehicle, worth $25,000, belonged to Woolston Foundry, Ltd. Nobody was injured or property damaged in the incident.

INDECENCYA girl, aged” 14, who noted the number plate of a car in which a man, aged 19, was seen doing an indecent act led to the man’s arrest. He pleaded guilty to doing an indecent act on December 1 and was fined $5OO. His name was suppressed from publication. His counsel, Mr Desmond Boyle, said the defendant deeply regretted what occurred. He had been parked round the corner from a block of

shops and had hot de(it>ejrately sought tq offend members of the. pUfejicT. He had not seefi*the<|ir|, who approached frdfrt btehind. Mr Boyle sought -isime suppression the defendant’s Jirilployment and the ill health of a parent. , - - The Judge, wheh ing the fine, expressed some wonderment, i»t flie number of such case 3 in which defendants ~ had otherwise blameless;:records. Y 4 '" 7