Theft of sleepers puts man in prison

Press, 29 January 1986, Page 4

Theft of sleepers puts man in prison

Compensation of $6BOO was unrealistic for a man who had declared himself bankrupt, said Judge Frampton in the District Court yesterday. All types of sentences had been tried over the 11 years Jonathan William Tate had been offending, he said. In sending Tate to prison for nine months, the Judge said the public was now entitled to a rest from Tate’s persistent offending. Tate, aged 26, unemployed (Miss E. H. B. Thompson), was earlier convicted of stealing 259 railway sleepers, and of twice obtaining money from a man he told he could provide with quantities of the sleepers. The offences occurred between July and August, ■last year. Miss Thompson said when her client went to prison last year he faced several outstanding debts. On his release the “pent up patience of his creditors exploded,” she said.

The money Tate obtained from his offending was spent trying to pay off his debts in order to keep his de facto family together. It was not for his personal use. Miss Thompson said that in view of his financial predicament, Tate had declared himself

bankrupt $11,645 THEFT A former cashier convicted of stealing $11,645 while employed by L. D. Nathan and Company, Ltd, told police she began taking money to cover a discrepancy by a former employer and, finding it so easy, continued doing so. This simply snowballed, said Sergeant S. Wilkinson. Sandra Mary Chinnery, aged 24, unemployed (Mr P. B. McMenamin), admitted the offending, which took place between November, 1984, and. November, last year. She was convicted and remanded on bail to February 11, for a probation report and sentence. Sergeant Wilkinson said the offending occurred while the defendant was employed as a cashier at the High Street branch of the store. Last December, discrepancies in takings, made through refunds and “over rings” were discovered by the management. Chinnery was spoken to. She admitted having taken the money for her personal use. Compensation of $11,645 was sought from Chinnery who was a first offender, said Sergeant Wilkinson.

Mr McMenamin said, on sentencing, he would be making submissions

about arrangements in hand for reparation. Initially Chinnery was charged with the theft of $12,283 but the amount was amended by Sergeant Wilkinson yesterday. INDECENCIES A man who indecently assaulted a boy, aged 15, and permitted the boy to do an indecent act on him, told police “things had just developed” between them as a result of the alcohol they had consumed, said Sergeant L. W. Corbett Maurice Winston Clark, aged 43, a dog trainer (Mr E. Bedo), was convicted and remanded on renewed bail to February 11 for a probation report and sentence. He admitted the offences, which occurred on January 5. Clark and the boy had dined at an inner city restaurant. They had then left in an intoxicated state.

The offending, which involved acts of oral sex, took place in a bed at Clark’s sleepout said Sergeant Corbett The offending came to the attention of the police after the boy, who became afraid the next morning, left and went to a relative.

Clark told the police he had been led to believe that the boy was 16 years of age.