The courts $250 fine for assault on traffic officer

Press, 18 April 1979, Page 4

The courts $250 fine for assault on traffic officer

A potato-picker who struck a hard blow to the face of a traffic officer, causing him to stagger back several feet, was convicted and fined 8250 by Mr P. R. Skelton. S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Hurry Wharepouri Bert Edmunds, aged 34, who admitted the offence, at first told the police he did not think he had assaulted the officer because if he had “then the officer would still be lying there.” Sergeant K. J. Hurndell said the assault took place about 6.30 p.m. on April 16 after the defendant had been requested by the officer to pull over to the side of the Main North Road. After speaking to the' defendant the officer re-

turned to his car to write 1 out an offence ticket and it was then that he was struck, by the defendant, said Sergeant Hurndell. He said that a passenger! in the defendant's car had got out and restrained Edmunds. The Magistrate said it was’ not the first time that the defendant had appeared before the courts for this type’ of offence. “It doesn’t appear to mei that you have learned a lesson as a result of your pre-1 vious appearances.” he said in imposing the $250 fine. THEFT ALLEGED Three men jointly charged with stealing 135 litres of; petrol and behaving in a dis-) orderly manner were each remanded without plea on| bail of $2OO to April 24. They are: Henry James Jo-! seph Linton O’Kane, aged 20. unemployed; Steven Max Hunt, aged 19. a fork-lift, driver: ana Brian John DeHart. aged 24, a driver. They are charged with' stealing the petrol, valued at” 843, the property of Peter Stevens, Ltd, on April 17, and with acting in a dis-|

1 orderly manner on the Old Main North Road the previous day. DEPOSITIONS Clive Ross Hartley, aged 33, a bushman, was remanded on bail of $lOOO tc May 22 on a charge of burglary. L. Hartley is alleged tc have broken into the Tuam Street premises of Industrial and Electrical Products (S.L), Ltd, on or about March 8. Hartley, who elected trial by jury, was remanded to May 22 for the taking of depositions. He was ordered to report twice weekly to the police. HARBOURING CHARGE A labourer, aged 18, charged with harbouring a 14-year-old girl who had left a residence, established under the Children and Young Person's Act, without authority, was remanded without plea to April 24. The youth, who was granted interim suppression of his name, was allowed bail of $6OO. He did not plead to a further charge of having sexual intercourse with the girl.

1 The alleged offences oc-’ jcurred early yesterday i The Magistrate, ai :he '.request of the police, >up-' ! pressed the name of the 'complainant. | OBSTRUCTION OFFENCE | A youth sat on the bonnet' iof his car so that a conistable could not remove the. distributor head, the Magis-; i irate was told. ! Alistair Bruce Gowans,! Jaged 17, unemployed, admit-' I ted wilfully obstructing a 'constable in the execution ofj >his' duty on April 12. ! Sergeant Hurndell said the: constable was attempting to; I take the keys of the car and the distributor head, in com-: : pliance with regulations! 'under the Transport Act,' when the defendant sat on! ■the bonnet of the car. ; Gowans had then asked i the constable if he was toj be given a second warning., It was only after several requests to move, and his failure to comply that the defendant had been arrested, 'said Sergeant Hurndell. Gowans was convicted and remanded to April 24 for a probation report and sentence.