Ohakune District Court

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 440, 16 June 1992, Page 9

Ohakune District Court

Four not-guilty pleas Peter Sydney Low, 24, tree-planter of Pipiriki, pleaded not guilty to four charges including: driving while disqualified; having implements by night indicating an intent to commit a burglary; assaulting a police constable, Stuart Ngatai,

and escaping from the custody of a police constable. All these charges related to events which occurred on the night of 21 April. Defendant was remanded to appear in the Ohakune District Court on 13 August for a defended hearing on all

charges. Counsel: Paul Brown. A "borderline" assault Robert Daniel Edmonds, 24, unemployed shearer of Raetihi, appeared on a charge of assault on a female on 10 April to which he had earlier pleaded guilty. Court heard that the as-

sault had been the result of a breakdown in communication - "the cone of silence" - in personal relationships of a kind which was all too often before the courts. "Frustration resulting from the failure to communicate may have been the reason for the violcnce (the victim suffered bruising and sought medical treatment but did not require hospitalisation) but this# was not an excuse" said Judge Watson. "However it was not a serious assault at the upper end of the scale which would have eamed defendant a prison sentence ... but that was a borderline decision." He agreed with defence counsel that the assault had appeared to be a oneoff situation and was unlikely to be repeated but warned defendant that if he again resorted to violence a much more serious view would be taken by the Court. Defendant was sentenced to 170 hours community service, part of this sentence included a remission of unrelated unpaid fines. Counsel: Paul Brown.