Magistrate’s Court Fined £75 For Assault On Hotel Licensee

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30958, 14 January 1966, Page 12

Magistrate’s Court Fined £75 For Assault On Hotel Licensee

For an assault on Brent William Woodgate, licensee of the Islington Hotel, after being detected stealing liquor by night, Richard Rigdon Wilson, aged 18, a workman, was fined £75, and placed on probation for 18 months, under special conditions, when he was sentenced in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. “The lawlessness and gross violence you showed, even if it were set off by liquor, would ordinarily have merited imprisonment,” said the Magistrate, Mr H. J. Evans, S.M.

“But because of your age, and your previous good record. I propose to place you on probation, under special conditions,” he said. Wilson was no ordinary burglar, his counsel, Mr M. J. Glue, submitted. He had not gone to the hotel intending to steal liquor—he had in fact, first rung the doorbell. It was the first time he had ever been in trouble. His was not the behaviour usually shown by the “cosh boy,” said Mr Glue. Rather had he panicked, when apprehended, being under the influence of drink. For these reasons, and although Wilson’s offences were serious, he sought the rare privilege, in such a case, of probation, Mr Glue said. In traversing details of the burglary and assault, to which Wilson had previously pleaded guilty, the Magistrate said he had gone into the hotel through the back door, taken four bottles of spirits from a bar-room shelf and was putting them in his car when; Woodgate, the licensee, accosted him. Wilson, said the Magistrate, had then attacked Woodgate, knocking him unconscious with a blow in the eye. “Having got him down, you rained blows on his head with your fists—and he suffered serious injuries,” the Magistrate said. The Magistrate order'd that £2O of the fine be paid, within three weeks, to Woodgate, and, in addition, that £6 10s restitution for liquor stolen be paid. Among special conditions of the probation, Wilson was ordered to live and work where directed by the Probation Officer, and to take out a prohibition order for a year. STOLE CAR PARTS Two youths who appeared on 14 charges of theft of numerous car accessories over the last 13 months could give no explanation for their actions, said Sergeant P. J. AJty who led the prosecutions for the police. The property stolen included a car radio, chrome emblems, a radio aerial, horn buttons, hub caps, over-rid-ers, taildight covers, headlight covers, windscreen wipers, a revolution counter, and a temperature gauge. The two youths. John Michael Chammen, aged 19, an apprentice carpenter, and Trevor Stuart Ressels, aged 17, an apprentice fitter, both pleaded guilty to seven joint charges of theft. Chammen pleaded guilty to a further four charges, and Ressels guilty to a further three. Bath were represented by Mr M. J. Glue. His application for the suppression of their names was refused. Most of the property was taken from cars belonging to nine different car-sales firms in the city, said Sergeant Atty. The accused had used most of the parts on their own cars. INDECENT ASSAULT Four youths who were said to have ganged up at a party to commit indecencies on a 17-year-old girl were all con-

victed of indecent assault on her, after pleading guilty, and remanded to January 20 for a probation report and sentence.

They are Francis Mowat Byrne, aged 19, a rubber moulder, Gary William Didham, aged 20, a workman, Graham David Morris, aged 19, a factory hand, and James Roderick Reid, aged 21, a paper-hanger. All but Didbam were said to have previous convictions.

Reid had met the girl in | Cathedral square about 6 p.m. on December 30, said Sergeant Alty, and had invited her to a party in Colombo street, Sydenham. A complaint about noise brought the police to the party at 3 a.m., where they found two of the accused in a bedroom with the girl, who complained to the police about grossly-indecent acts the four had committed on her.

Byrne, Didham and Morris are represented by Mr R. F. B. Perry, and Reid by Mr P. R. R. Mulligan. OFFENSIVE BEHAVIOUR When the police asked Raymond William Curtis, aged 19, a West Coast bushman. for an explanation for jostling a young woman in High street on the evening of January 12, and speaking offensively to her, Curtis had said: “On the Coast you can do that sort of thing.”

This outline was given by Sergeant Alty when Curtis pleaded guilty to offensive behaviour, and was convicted and fined £l2 10s. He claimed no recollection of what he had j said, as he was “a bit drunk.” “I’m quite sure you can’t do that sort of thing on the Coast, or in any decent place,” the Magistrate told him. ASSAULTED WIFE

His wife had pushed him into a coal-box and then stood on top of him, Leslie John McCreath, aged 52, a truck driver, said when he pleaded guilty to a charge of assaulting his wife on January 12. He was fined £6. Sergeant Alty said Mrs McCreath complained that she had been hit with a garden hose and punched all over her body. The left side of her face was inflamed and her arms and legs showed signs of bruising. McCreath denied the allegations his wife had made but she was apparently scared to go home. McCreath said his wife wanted his money and an argument ensued. She pushed him into a coal box, then stood on top of him, and they struggled for a quarter of an hour. ON ENCLOSED PREMISES Jim Tuhikarama, aged 25, a metal worker, who pleaded guilty to being found in enclosed premises at 8 Office road, Merivale, on the night of January 4, was not dressed all in dark clothing, as in previous such offences, said his counsel, Mr S. G. Erber. Emotionally upset, Tuhikarama had burst out of his home after a domestic dispute, and had gone looking for someone to talk to, Mr Eber said. Sergeant Alty said that Tuhikarama had been seen looking through both front and back windows of the house. He admitted he did not know the occupants. He had previous convictions for similar offences. Tuhikarama was remanded to January 20 for a probation report and sentence. CASHED £5O CHEQUE

A man who cashed a valueless £5O cheque at the Bower Hotel, New appeared on charges of obtaining credit by fraud and false pretences James Lewis Letham, aged 34. a driver, pleaded guilty and was convicted and remanded on bail to January 20 for sentence. Sergeant Alty said Letham cashed a cheque for £5O at the hotel on November 26. The bank branch and the account number on the cheque had been altered. When inquiries were made Letham admitted the cheque had not been his. After cashing the cheque, ha had

gone to Wellington where he stayed at the Gresham Hotel, and left without paying his bill. WARRANT FOR ARREST Appearing on a warrant for his arrest Issued by the Magistrate earlier in the day when he failed to appear. Kenneth Barrie Neal, aged 25, unemployed. explained that he had mistaken the time at which his case was to be heard. Neal pleaded guilty to the theft of a cheque form from the Linwood Service Station on December 21, and to obtaining credit by fraud the next day from Kevin Crowe Car Sales, Ltd., for a car valued at £lOO, by means of a valueless cheque. He pleaded not guilty to a further charge of obtaining fraudulent credit of £2« 15s 2d for board and lodging at the Grosvenor Hotel, Timaru, on December 29. After couviction on the first two charges, Neal was remanded to January 20. Mr S. G. Erber, who was to have appeared for Neal, sought leave to withdraw when he failed to answer his bail. STOLE TV SET Pleading guilty to a charge of breaking and entering a house at 117 Salisbury street on January 10. a man, whose name was suppressed (Mr S. G. Erber), was convicted and remanded on bail to January 20 for sentence. The accused was found sitting in a taxi with a television set, said Sergeant Alty. He had entered a house by pushing aside a heavy-paper sack used to cover a broken window. When arrested, the accused was very drunk. FORGED RECEIPT Anzac Robert Williams, aged 22, a workman, who pleaded guilty to forging a Post Office Savings Bank withdrawal slip for £l2 10s at Christchurch on November 3, was convicted and remanded on ball to January 20, for a probation report and sentence. MILK BOTTLE THEFTS Brian James Jacobsen, aged 18, unemployed, previously con victed of theft of money and milk tokens from Trent street, Avonside, on January 11, was further remanded until today for sentence by Mr E. S. J. Crutchley, S.M. DESERTED SHIP David Robert Chatfield, a seaman, who absconded from the Port Lincoln at Lyttelton on January 2, and was eventually arrested at Nelson, pleaded guilty to deserting his ship, and was convicted and fined £lO. At the request of Mr P. R. R. Mulligan, who appeared for the Port Line, Chatfield was ordered to be placed aboard the Port Lincoln, which was due to leave Lyttelton yesterday afternoon. REMANDED Raymond Patrick Boyle, aged 21. a linoleum-layer, charged with driving in Dunedin In August last while disqualified, was remanded on bail to January 17. Boyle was not apprehended until his recent return from Australia.

John William Mapstone, aged 21. an Australian builders' labourer. who elected trial by jury on a charge of converting a £7OO car, the property of Ford and McDougall, Ltd., on December 23. was further remanded, in custody, to January 20. Margaret Alexa Mitchell, who pleaded not guilty to being idle and disorderly at Lyttelton on .January 12, was remanded to January 17. after her counsel Mr R. F. B. Perry, had asked to r an early hearing, since she lived In Wellington. On Mr Perry's application, ball of £5O was allowed, Mitchell to report daily to the police. A young man. whose name was suppressed, charged with inde. cent assault on a girl under 1> between May 15 and 22 last was remanded, on bail of £lOO. to January 20. His counsel. Mr M J. Glue, in seeking interim suppression of the accused's name, said he had never before appeared in a Court, and that there was a very unusual back, ground to the case, and tbs life the accused led. A 42-year-old man, whose n »">« .Y a ’ ’ u PPt'essed. charge/ with attempted Indecent assauM on a male at Christchurch oa January 17. was. on the application of his counsel. Mr S. G Erber. remanded under the Mental Health Act, until February

Chest Injuries. Ralph Blacklock, of 51 Cuffs road, suffered chest injuries when the cycle he was riding struck the rear of a truck trailer in Christchurch about 8.15 am. yesterday. He was treated at Christchurch Hospital and discharged.