P.D. imposed for assault on schoolboy

Press, 30 June 1983, Page 4

P.D. imposed for assault on schoolboy

A factory worker who assaulted a schoolboy because he felt he had been insulted by him was sentenced to periodic detention for five months by Judge Bisphan in the District Court yesterday. He told Peter Roy McMurdo, aged 28, a factory worker (Ms E. H. B. Thompson), that he had come close to being sent toprison for the offence. “I regard this assault as extremely serious and it is only your background and disabilities which save you from such a sentence,” he said. At the earlier hearing, the police prosecutor said the defendant, who was driving a car, followed the complainant, aged 14, who was on a bus, because he felt insulted and was “wild.” McMurdo had ordered the boy off the bus and had assaulted him. As a result of the assault, the boy had suffered two blackened eyes, two chipped teeth, a bleeding nose, lacerations, concussion, and had been taken to hospital for treatment. Ms Thompson said the police summary was not accepted in its entirety. It was not a case of gratuitous violence as there had been some provocation by the complainant. The offence had taken place at 9.15 p.m. and McMurdo was not aware the complainant was a schoolboy. He was not wearing a school uniform and was of the same size, if not larger, than the defendant, said Ms Thompson. The offence, she said, could be regarded as an isolated lapse on the part of the defendant. McMurdo was put on probation for 12 months. J5OO FINE A garage forecourt attendant convicted of stealing ¥524 from his employer was fined ¥5OO when he appeared for sentence. Terence Vernon Etwell, aged 31 (Mr J. A. Callaghan), had admitted the offences which were committed between May 30 and June 8.

Mr Callaghan said his

client had already paid sufficient funds into his trust account to cover compensation. The four offences took place over a period of eight days. Etwell had been employed by the garage for 18 months and had worked as a mechanic. He had also helped his employer to build up his business and had helped look after the books. The defendant had been demoted and put to work in the forecourt. At the time, he had been under considerable pressures relating to the settlement of matrimonial property and mounting debts. In addition to the fine Etwell was put on probation for 12 months, and ordered to pay compensation. BARRACKS THEFTS A man convicted of 14 offences, eight of them involving the theft of cash and bank books from barracks at Bumham and Wigram, was remanded on bail of ¥l5OO to July 13 for a probation report and sentence. Paul Carl Hunter, aged 21, unemployed (Mr D. J. Taffs), admitted the theft offences, wilfully trespassing at the Wigram air base, burgling a house on the base, and one charge of false pretence. Sergeant W. J. McCormick said over the past two months the defendant had stolen cash and bank books from barrack blocks at Bumham and at Wigram. THEFT CHARGES A man facing two charges of theft and one of escaping from police custody, was remanded without plea to July 13. Kevin James Lane, aged 21, a labourer, was allowed bail of ¥l5OO and ordered to report three times weekly to the police. He is charged with stealing a car, valued at ¥l6OO, about May 11, stealing a car stereo, two speakers, a radar detector, 10 tape cassettes, and a cheque book, to a total value of ¥1092, about June 18.

Lane is also charged with escaping from the custody of a police officer on May 4.