Magistrate's Court Starter’s Pistol Fired During Police Inquiries

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28270, 7 May 1957, Page 16

Magistrate's Court Starter’s Pistol Fired During Police Inquiries

Brian Carrington, aged 28, a workman, pleaded guilty in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday to a charge of converting a motorcycle, valued at £2OO, the property of James Hura, on April 30. Mr Raymond Ferner, S.M., remanded him in custody for a week for a Probation Officer’s report and sentence. Detective E. L. McLachlan became suspicious when he saw Carrington riding a motor-cycle in Cashel street at 10.25 p.m. on April 30 and stopped him, said Senior-Detective J. B. McLean. Carrington gave his name as James Miller, a photographer, and claimed to have bought the motor-cycle in Dunedin. He could not produce a licence or a warrant of fitness, and did not know the number of the machine. Carrington took Detective McLachlan to a house in Lichfield street where he said he tjiad his papers, Senior Detective McLean said. Walking down the passage, Carrington said “Be quiet, you’ll wake the baby.” He then said that he was married, although he had previously claimed to have been visiting his girl friend. However, according to a woman living in the house, Carrington had never been there When he took Carrington outside, Detective McLachlan saw a car which had oeen reported stolen parked nearby. As he walked towards it, he heard a loud explosion, and turned to see Carrington holding a pistol. Detective McLachlan covered Carrington with his own pistol while a constable seized hint “I don’t care what happens. You’ll never hold me in Paparua Prison,” said Carrington. He created such a disturbance at the police station that he had to be put in a padded cell. The pistol he had fired was a starter’s pistol which would fire only blanks.

Carrington’s 16 previous convictions included two of escaping from lawful custody,, SeniorDetective McLean oaid. STOLE SUITCASES

Lawrence Edgar Gigg, aged 44, a carpenter, pleaded guilty to charges of stealing a suitcase and its contents valued at £36, the property of Allan Dawson, on April 9, and stealing an overnight* bag, a kitbag, a suitcase and a carpenter’s tool bag and their contents, valued at £6O, the property of Alfred George Rands, at Wellington, on January 17.

Gigg had a bad record for dishonesty, said the Magistrate, sentencing him to three months’ imprisonment on each charge, the sentences to be cumulative. Senior-Detective J. B. McLean said that Gigg met Dawson in a hotel. He went out to put a sixpence in a parking meter for Dawson, but instead he took Dawson’s suitcase from his car.

On January 17, Gigg met Rands while travelling from Hamilton to Wellington, said Senior-Detective McLean. At Wellington he offered to collect Rands’ luggage. He got the luggage and took it with him to Auckland.

Gigg told the Court that liquor caused the offences. NAMES SUPPRESSED

/\ man aged 28, whose name was ordered not to be published and who was represented by Mr R. Twyneham, pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing £33 5s 9d. He was remanded for a week for a Probation Officer’s report and sentence.

A 25-year-old man, whose name was ordered not to be published in the meantime, appeared on charges of being absent without leave from his ship, and unlawfully landing in New Zealand, being a prohibited immigrant. He pleaded guilty and was ordered to be detained under the provisions of the Shipping and Seamen’s Act, pending deportation.

Mr D. W. Russell appeared for the accused, and Mr P. T. Mahon represented the Labour and Employment Department. STOLE SHIRTS

Peter Murphy Diston, aged 29. a workman, pleaded not guilty to a charge of stealing, on May 3, three shirts, valued at £4 10s, the property of Charles Goldie. He was convicted and sentenced to three months' imprisonment. INTOXICATED MOTORIST

Albert Wylie, aged 32, a workman, pleaded guilty to a charge of driving a car in Colombo street while he was under the influence of alcohol, on May 4.

He was convicted and sentenced to seven days’ imprisonment. His driver’s licence was cancelled and he was prohibited from obtaining another for 18 months. Inspector C. H. Reardon said that Wylie ran into a cyclist who was stopped at the . traffic lights at the corner of Colombo street and Armagh street at 6.30 p.m. on Saturday. The cyclist considered Wylie unfit to drive, and telephoned the police. Wylie was taken to the police station, and examined at 7.30 p.m. by Dr. F. L. Scott, who considered him unfit to drive.

SERIES OF FALSE PRETENCES A married woman, whose name was ordered not to be published meantime and who was represented by Mr B. J. Drake, pleaded guilty to 34 charges of obtaining goods to a total value of £348 from shops in Christchurch betwen May 6, 1955, and April 23, 1957, by falsely representing that she had authority to charge them to various accounts.

She was remanded to Thursday on bail of £lOO with one surety of £lOO.

Senior-Detective J. B. McLean said that the woman, who had two children, came from the country to Christchurch on shopping visits. She went to Hay’s, Ltd., Beath and Company, Ltd., The D.1.C., J. Ballantyne and Company, Ltd., and the New Zealand Farmers’ Co-operative Association of Canterbury, Ltd., and chose goods which she told assistants to charge to the accounts of doctors and well-known people in Christchurch. Usually she got clothing and toys which she sometimes gave away. Her husband knew nothing about these things and when she returned home with various goods she gave him false explanations. She had given concern to the firms but was eventually caught with the co-operation of the staff of Hay’s, Ltd.

From Hay’s she obtained goods worth £6B, from Death’s goods worth £122, from Ballantyne’s goods worth £66, from the D.I.C. goods worth £32, and from the Farmers’ goods worth £5B, said Senior-Detective McLean.

Mr Drake applied for interim suppression of her name and the

Magistrate granted the application but said he held out no expectation of suppression when the case was finally dealt with. PRISON FOR BIGAMY

Lawrence Leonard William Nicholas, aged 33, a workman (Mr J. B. Weir), who appeared for sentence on a charge of committing bigamy at Wanganui on July 22, 1955, was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment. Mr Weir said that Nicholas had been consistently in trouble since 1933. When he was seven he appeared in the Children’s Court on a charge of breaking and entering. His last conviction was on December 16, 1955, and it was for breaking and entering. Had he brought his bigamous marriage before the Court at that time it was probable that his sentence would not have been increased. His term of imprisonment would expire ojn December 16. The Magistrate said it might well be that had Nicholas disclosed this offence before he was sentenced for breaking and entering it would have been taken into consideration. The ends of justice would be served if he was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment. FOUND DRUNK James William Olley, aged 58, a workman, pleaded guilty to being found drunk in Winchcomte street on May 5 having been three times previously convicted of a similar offence within the last six months. The Magistrate said that Ollcy had 73 previous convictions for drunkenness and it seemed that he should be sent to the inebriates’ home. The case would be adjourned for one day for a medical report on whether Olk-y was fit to be sent to Roto Roa island.

Allan Garrett Penrose, aged 37, a workman, who pleaded guilty to being found drunk at' the Christchurch railway station on May 4, having oeen once previously convicted of a similar offence within the last six months, was fined £2, in default 48 hours’ imprisonment. REMANDED

A man, whose name was ordered not to be published and who was represented by Dr. A. L. Haslam, was remanded in custody for a week on a charge of assaulting a girl aged 10, to which he pleaded not guilty.