MAGISTRATE’S COURT Imprisonment Threatened For Unruly Youths In Square

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30953, 8 January 1966, Page 16

MAGISTRATE’S COURT Imprisonment Threatened For Unruly Youths In Square

Immediate prison sentences for young men who caused disorder in Cathedral square and made difficulties for the police, were threatened by Mr i K. H. J. Headifen, S.M, in the I Magistrate’s Court yesterday, i The Magistrate issued his warning after several cases arising from New Year’s Eve disturbances —involving breaking and throwing beer i bottles, assaults on the police, and resistance to arrest—had come before him. A crowd of several hundred drunken youths and giris celebrating round the Godley plot in the Square was described by the police prosecutor, Sergeant P. J. Alty. At one stage, a beer bottle was thrown at the Godley statue, and smashed, showering broken glass into the crowd. When the youth responsible was told to pick up pieces of the broken bottle he refused, and was arrested, said Sergeant Alty. When he was taken away in a police car, the mob chased after the police car, and another beer bottle was thrown at it.

“The police have a very difficult job controlling types like you in Cathedral square,” said the Magistrate to Leonard Stanley Boyle, aged 22, a moulder, who was fined £3O for two assaults on police constables, and a further £lO for resisting arrest. “As far as I am concerned, the police are going to be fully supported,” the Magistrate said.

Joseph Scanlen, an 18-year-old Islander, who said he came from Gisborne, was told he was not wanted in Christchurch after pleading guilty to throwing a beer bottle at a police car. His arrest was said to have provoked a hostile demonstration from the crowd. “We have a decent type of citizen down here,” said the Magistrate. “Any reason for inflicting yourself on Christchurch?” Scanlen made no reply.

“We don’t want you,” said the Magistrate. “If they tolerate your sort of behaviour in Gisborne, fair enough—but we don't want it down here,” Scanlen was fined £35. “I’m warning you, and others like you,” the Magistrate said. “From the behaviour in Cathedral square I have heard of this morning, it is time to start peremptory sentences of imprisonment again.” Enoka Henry Rukuata, aged 21, a boilermaker, the youth who smashed the beer bottle against the Godley statue, was fined £25, after pleading guilty to disorderly behaviour.

Boyle was the only one of the three men who had anything to say for himself. “I was standing there, and I was pushed first,” he said. “My wife was pushed. A constable was standing in front of me, so I pushed him out of the road. And then when I was spoken to I lost control of myself.” Sergeant Alty said that after attacking Constable J. J. Chaderton, Boyle attacked Constable P. B. Brady, who went to his assistance. He punched Constable Brady several times in the mouth, and got so violent that he had to be handcuffed and carried bodily to a police car. The Magistrate commented that Boyle had last year been convicted of fighting, and using obscene language. “You are running very close to being sent to prison,” he said. DISORDERLY BEHAVIOUR Leslie John Wanhalla, aged 18, a fishmonger, charged with disorderly behaviour outside a Cathedral square milkbar on New Year’s Eve, was remanded on bail to January 20. He first pleaded guilty, but was permitted by the Magistrate to withdraw the plea and seek legal advice. Sergeant Alty said that Wanhalla was seen by two constables to throw punches at someone just inside the milkbar—but he missed, and his fist hit a plate-glass panel, without breaking it. Wanhalla had claimed he was merely trying to get into the milkbar, Sergeant Alty said.

MAN IN WHEEL CHAIR Appearing in Court in a wheel chair, because of a broken leg, Peter Joseph Kerwin, aged 37, a scaffolding worker, pleaded gui'lty to a charge of disorderly behaviour in Barrington street, Spreydon, on January 4. Further charged with obscene language arising from the same incident, Kerwin said he was not sure if he had used the words complained of —’‘with the pain from my leg I didn’t know whether I was coming or going,” he said—whereupon a plea of not gui'lty was entered. Kirwin was remanded, on bail, to January 27, when the latter charge will be heard. . IDLE AND DISORDERLY Kathleen Patricia Burnett, aged 18, an unemployed machinist, who pleaded guilty to being idle and disorderly at Christchurch on January 6, was remanded on bail to January 10. Burnett, the police said, has been questioned about the hon-payment of a fine, and was found to have no money, and only Is 6d in a savings-bank account. She had not worked since December 12, and had been living with a girl friend. . and two youths, “in unsavoury ! conditions.” Sergeant Alty said. YOUTHS’ ESCAPADE

After three youths had taken an M.E.D. van from the Christchurch City Council parking building in Manchester street on the night of December 28, n order to get to Cheviot, one of them, a 17-year-old workman, the next day converted a £7OO car from a Cashel street carpark, said Sergeant Alty. This youth, who pleaded guilty to both charges, was stopped driving the car in Tram road, north of the Waimakariri river, after a Transport Department patrol officer had been notified of the car's disappearance. The other youths invalved in the taking of the van, both of them unemployed, also pleaded guilty. All three were remanded to January 10. Mr M. J. Glue successfully sought the interim suppression of the first youth’s name, saying that he came of a good family, and that several “excellent testimonials” had been received about him written before the offences.

The Magistrate, in agreeing to such suppression, said he

would treat all three youths likewise. 'But I’ll want very strong reasons before I suppress your names next week,” he said. DISQUALIFIED DRIVING For a second offence of driving while disqualified, Leslie James Marsh, aged 20, unemployed, was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment, and hrs driver’s licence cancelled for a further year. The Magistrate said that Marsh had been sent to a detention centre last August for driving while disqualified. “No sooner had that sentence expired than on December 26 you are again apprehended for driving while disqualified,” said the Magistrate to Marsh. ”1 have issued enough warnings from this Bench about driving while disqualified —if you don’t learn from being sent to a detention centre you will have to be dealt with by imprisonment.” ASSAULT CHARGE Four youths jointly charged with indecent assault on a 17-year-old girl at Christchurch on December 31 were remanded on bail to January 13. They are Francis Mowaton Byrne, aged 19, a rubber w’orker, Gary William Didham, aged 20, a workman, Graham David Morris, aged 19, a factory hand (all represented by Mr R. F. B. Perry), and James Roderick Reid, aged 20, a paperhanger Mr P. R. R. Mulligan). “CONSIDERABLE LIST” “You have built up a fairly considerable list, and the time has come for you to have some training,” said the Magistrate to Terrence Andrew Harper, aged 19, who appeared for sentence for the theft of goods, valued at £25, on December 29. After indicating he would sentence Harper to periodic detention for six months at a work centre, the Magistrate remanded him, in custody, for a medical examination and report. DEPORTATION ORDERED

Ordering that he be later deported, the Magistrate sentenced John William Mapstone, aged 21, an Australian labourer, to one month’s imprisonment for the theft of goods at Christchurch valued at £l2 5s on December 27. On a further charge of converting a car from the yard of Ford and McDougal, Ltd., on December 23, Mapstone elected trial by jury. ESCAPING CHARGE Kelvin Lawrence Weaver, aged 25, a seaman, charged with escaping from Paparua Prison on December 29, was remanded to January 14. THEFT OF GOODS David Malcolm Morrison Barbour, aged 41, a spray painter, was fined £25 when he appeared for sentence on a charge of theft of goods valued at £l9 19s on Christmas Eve. GAOL FOR DRUNKENNESS

George Roger Henshaw, aged 59, a workman, was imprisoned for 14 days for being found drunk in Cathedral square on January 6, having five times previously been convicted of drunkenness in the last six months. IMPRISONMENT

Donald George Paterson, aged 20, a butcher, charged with breaking and entering the premises of the Associated Bottlers’ Company, Ltd., in Duke street, Dunedin, between September 11 and 13 last, was sentenced to three months 1 ’ imprisonment, to be concurrent with a sentence he is already serving. BREACH OF PROBATION Peter Maxwell Reymish, aged 25, a farm hand, was convicted and fined £2O on a charge of failing to report to the Probation Officer on April! 1 last. SUSPENDED SENTENCE Kelvin Hughes, aged 45, a labourer, charged with being idle and disorderly at Lyttelton on January 3 in that he had insufficient lawful means of support, was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence i f called upon within the next three months. REMANDED Brian Francis Johns, aged 25,

a truck driver, charged with conversion of a £4OO car from the yard of Chevron Car Sale* at Christchurch on Christmas Eve, was remanded on £lOO bai! to January 10. He was represented by Mr M. J. Glue. John Raymond Julius, aged 18, an apprentice carpenter, charged with driving while disqualified in HoCmwood road. Merivale, on New Year’s day. pleaded guilty and was remanded on bail to January 10. Leonard Martin, aged 22, a tussock-board worker, charged with attempted false pretences involving £5O in cash, the property of Hay's, Ltd., at Christchurch on January 5, pleaded guilty and was remanded on bail to January 10. Brian Maurice McAuliffe, aged 20, a factory worker, charged with the theft of £6 10s in money at Christchurch on November 13. pleaded not guilty and was remanded on bail to January 20. Errol Leslie McConchle, aged 42. a scrap-metal worker, charged with the theft of goods valued at £4 at Christchurch on January 3, pleaded not guilty and was remanded on bail to January 20.

Dennis Lloyd McLachlan, aged 18. a timber worker, charged with theft of goods valued at £lO. the property of Salisbury Motors, Ltd., on January 3, was remanded on bail to January 10.

Jim Tuhikarama, aged 25, a metal moulder, charged with being a rogue and vagabond on January 4 in that he was found by night on enclosed premises, was remanded to January 13. On the application of Mr S. G. Erber, bail was allowed. Kelvin McDonald Tweedie, aged 31, a cabinet maker, charged with driving while under the influence of drink or drugs in Marine parade, New Brighton, on December 31, was remanded on bail to January 20. Anzac Robert Williams, aged 23, an unskilled labourer, charged with forging a Post Office Savings Bank withdrawal receipt for the sum of £l2 10s at Christchurch on November 3, was remanded on bail to January 13.. Richard Rigdon Wilson, aged 23, a workman, charged with burgling the Islington Hotel on January 2, was remanded in custody to January 10. Mr M. J. Glue’s application for bail was opposed by Sergeant Alty, who said that Wilson would also be charged with an assault, resulting in serious injuries, when attempting a getaway. Two youths aged 19 and 17, trade apprentices by occupation, whose names were suppressed, were remanded to January 13 on a joint charge of the theft at Christchurch of a car radio, valued at £l2, on January 3. A 47-year-old man whose name was suppressed was remanded on bail to January 20 on a charge of driving while under the influence of drink or drugs in Manchester street on January 1.