12 Persons Fined After Shooting Expeditions

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31113, 16 July 1966, Page 22

12 Persons Fined After Shooting Expeditions

Twelve persons who had been on shooting expeditions were fined when they appeared before Mr E. A. Lee, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court at Culverden this week. Prosecutions were conducted against 11 persons, seven of whom were convicted, for entering the Balmoral State Forest without permits. Five other persons were convicted on charges arising from shotguns being discharged at the wall of the Medbury Railway Station goods shed.

Charges against four persons of entering the forest without a permit were dismissed on technical grounds. Fines totalling £24, with costs amounting to £l5 were imposed on the seven persons convicted of similar and associated charges. The five persons involved in the shooting at Medbury had to pay fines costs, and restitution totalling £34. The charges of entering the forest without permits arose from events between February 27 and April 10. There had been nothing sinister in the offences, said the prosecutor (Sergeant W. Watson) but a growing practice of persons entering forests without permits was causing concern.

“I am hoping that the cases will attract a good deal of publicity, as it is important to let people know that the Forest Service is taking steps to prevent irresponsible persons from entering the forests,” said the Magistrate. He was commenting on an application by Mr H. J. B. Quigley for suppression of the names of four of the defendants, in view of the fact that the charges were dismissed, because of the embarrassment that could result. From the point of view of the defendants the offence had been of a minor nature, said the Magistrate, and he did not think the circumstances warranted suppression of names. Penalties Fines were imposed as follows: Graham Andrew Stewart, entering forest to shoot rabbits, £3: entering forest without a permit, costs; entering State land without a permit, £3. Brent Robert Stewart, Gregory Alexander Downing, Warwick Henry Hobbs, Richard James Cleall, Robert Marshall Honeybone, entering the forest without a permit, £3. Allan James Walker, entering the forest to shoot rabrits, £3; entering the forest

without a permit, costs only 30s. Costs of 30s were ordered to be paid in each of the cases, where not already indicated. Charges against Richard Drayton Howes, Geoffrey Granville Sharp, Leslie Richard Smith, and William Harrow of entering the forest without permits on February 27, were dismissed after Mr Quigley had submitted that for the charges to succeed it was necessary to prove that that the defendants were in the forest by producing formal evidence defining the forest area, and this had not been done. Medbury Shooting A duck shooting expedition gave rise to the Medbury incident. After two members discharged their guns at the side of the goods shed it was found that three persons had obtained guns without permits. Dermatt Leo Patrick O’Boyle and Peter Van Beuzekom were each convicted of three offences with the following penalties: Discharging a shotgun in a public place, £1; being a minor in possession of a shotgun without a permit, costs; wilfully damaging a corrugated iron wall, £5, with restitution of 30s each. Martyn Richard Waldron was fined £1 for being a minor in possession of a shotgun without a permit. For discharging ? shotgun in a public place, Brian Lawrence Muir was fined £l. Michael Ward Warwick was fined £1 for discharging a shotgun in a public place and a further £1 for being a minor in possession of a shotgun without a permit.

The offences occurred on May 8.