Drink driving convictions follow campaign

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 500, 24 August 1993, Page 12

Drink driving convictions follow campaign

The following cases were heard by Judge Richard Watson in the Ohakune District Court last Thursday. Police sergeant Bob Evans of Ohakune appeared for the prosecution. There were several drinkdriving charges indicating a stepped up campaign of checking for this type of offence in this area. Drink-driving charges • Campbell Stephen Hunter, 21, pleaded guilty to a charge of driving with excess breath alcohol of 550/1 in Miro Street, Ohakune, at 2.25am on 1 August. He was convicted and fmed $500 court costs $95 , and disqualified for six months. • William Edward Hogan, 60, pleaded guilty to a charge of driving with excess breath alcohol of 750/1 in Goldfinch Street, Ohakune, at 9.03pm on 6 August As a first offender he was convicted and fined $650, court costs $95 anddisqualified for seven months. • John Francis Henare Kingi, 45, labourer of Raetihi, pleaded guilty to a charge of driving with excess breath alcohol of 750/ 1 at5.20pminValleyRoad, Raetihi, on 4 August. Because there was also a matter of outstanding fmes

to be paid, he was remanded to 1 6 September for aprobation officers report and sentence and ordered not to drive a motor vehicle in the meantime. • James Chadwick Foster, 19, shop assistant of Waiouru, pleaded guilty to a charge of drink driving in thah being under the age of 20 years, he exceeded the limit of 150/1 imposed on that age group and recorded a reading of 300/1 when stopped in Miro Street Ohakune, at 2.30am on 1 August Judge Watson pointed out that while the reading of 300/1 was still under the adult legal limit of 400/1 the lower limit had been set for younger drivers in order to protect themselves and others. Foster was convicted and fined $300, court costs $95 and disqualified for three months. • Martyn Ross Davies, 30, soldier of Waiouru, pleaded guilty to a charge of driving with excess breath alcohol of 450/1 at 3.30am in Miro Street, Ohakune, on 1 August. Judge Watson said that defendant had obviously exercised some restraint to be found with areading that

barely exceeded the limit at that hour of the morning. He was convicted and fined $400, court costs $95 and disqualified for six months. Counsel: Paul Brown. • KevinThomas Hall, 36, mill-handof Tangiwai, was remanded without plea to appear in the Ohakune District Court on 1 6 September to answer to one charge of driving with excess breath alcohol of 500/1 in Clyde Street, Ohakune, on31 July and to one charge of driving while disqualified on the same date and at the same place. Counsel: Paul Brown. • Llewellyn Cadwallader, 55 shepherd of Tangiwai, pleaded guilty to a charge of driving with excess breath alcohol of 600/1 following an accident at 3.40am on State Highway Four at Karioi. As a first offender who had not appeared before the Courtbefore in his 55 years he was convicted and fined $450, court costs $95, and disqualified for six months. Community care Leslie James Christensen, 17, Access workerof Raetihi, appeared for sentence on a charge of breaking and entering 51 Queen Street, Raetihi, on or about 11 May. He had earlier pleaded guilty to this charge and a probation officers report had been called for prior to sentence being imposed. Judge Watson told defendant that, prior to the probation officers report being received he had been considering a prison sentence because defendant had, with his co-offenders, been involved in a total of three burglaries. Court heard from Access programme (now TOPS) supervisor, Mr Ritchie Akapita, that defendant was a regular attender at the TOPS programme in Ohakune and was a reliable worker. In imposing a sentence of nine months community care Judge Watson wamed

Christensen that if he again re-offended in this manner (burglary), a custodial sentence was the most likely result. Not guilty plea Thomas Ian Hemara, 18, unemployed, of Ohakune, pleaded not guilty to a charge of stealing a denim jacket valued at $160, the property of Shirley Jane Byford on 12 August. He was remanded on bail to appear in the Ohakune District Court on 16 September and, as condition of bail, was told to observe a curfew at 125 Miro Street between 8pm and 6am each day and ordered not to enter licensed premises either to consume or purchase alcohol in the meantime. Counsel: Gary Johnson. Remanded Justin Edmond King, 20, imemployed, of Ohakune pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing a pipe likely to be used to commit an offence under the Misuse of Drugs Act on 1 1 August as well as a charge of stealing a Khatmandu fleece jacket valued at $170 between 1 and 10 November last year. He pleaded not guilty to a charge of receiving an Alpine jacket valued at $850 from Frederick Campbell between 1 and 10 November last year. He was remanded on all charges to appear in the Ohakune District Court on 21 October Counsel: Gary Johnson. Warrant for arrest Brent William W aho, 22, unemployed and formerly of Shannon, Wanganui and now of no known address failed to appear on a charge of driving while disqualified in Clyde Street, Ohakune, on 23 June. A warrant for arrest was issued. Burglary and conversion charges Atawhai Snowy Kuru, 26, shearer of Mt Wellington, appeared on three

charges after a warrant for arrest was issued in the' Ohakune District Court on 17 June when he failed to appear to answer these charges. They were: that he took a Honda Prelude valued at $12,000, the property of Henry V anSitteron 17 May; that he committed a burglary of the Junction Ski Shop in Ohakune on 26 May; that he unlawfully took a Nissan 'Caravan' mini-bus valued at $ 15,000 on 27 May. His counsel, Mr Paul Brown, said that he needed more time to obtain details and requested a one-month remand. Kuru was remanded on all matters to appear again on 16 September. Assault with knife May Ponga, 42, garden worker of Raetihi, pleaded guilty to a charge of assaulting her defacto partner, Thomas Wallace, using a knife as a weapon on 22 July. Court heard how, after an argument, defendant had grabbed a table knife and stabbed complainant twice, once in the lower back, once in the upper back. The upper back wound hadpunctured the chest cavity and narrowly missed a lung and the victim had to be admitted to Wanganui Base Hospital. She was convicted and remanded on bail to appear on 16 September for sentence. A condition of bail was thatdefendantmustnot consume alcohol before her next appear ance. Counsel: Paul Brown. Community service sentence Brian James Ruke, 31, solo parent of Raetihi, appeared for sentence on a charge of breaking and entering the Pricecutter Supermarket in Seddon Street, Raetihi, on 13 June. Court heard how this offence, committed while Ruke was under the influence of alcohol was out of character and unlikely to be repeated. Court also heard that he

had already partially repaid the reparation owed and would continue to do so until the balance of $200 was finally met. He was convicted and sentenced to 120hours community service. Counsel: Paul Brown. Remanded without plea Douglas David Speers, 22, self-employed of Ohakune, was remanded without plea to appear on 1 6 September on one charge of unlawfully getting into a 1978 Mitsubishi Lancer on 12 August and a charge of attempting to take that vehicle on that date. A condition of the remand was that he observes a curfew at his home address from 8pm to 6pm and does not enter licensed premises either to purchase or consume alcohol during the remand period. Counsel: Paul Brown. Attempt to convert Tahi Laxon Sweet, 17, Access worker of Ohakune, pleaded not guilty to a charge of attempting to take a Mitsubishi Lancer motor vehicle on 12 August. A . charge of getting into that vehicle was withdrawn by consent. He was remanded on bail to appear for a defended hearing on 16 September and ordered to observe a curfew at 6 Martin Place, Ohakune, from 8pm to 6am each day. He was also ordered to avoid licensed premises either to purchase or consume alcohol during the remand period Counsel: Gary Johnson. Convicted and discharged Rene Vicky Reuben, 18, student of Ohakune, appeared for sentence on several driving charges to which she had pleaded guilty at the 17 June sitting of the Ohakune District Court. These were that she: drove a motor vehicle in Palmerston North without ever having had or obtained a driving licence; failing to ascertain if an injury had

been sustained; careless use of amotor vehicle. All these charges related to an incident on 29 January in Palmerston North. A condition of her earlier appearance (on 17 June) was that the sentence would depend on whether or not she had been able to obtain a driving licence before her appearance last week. When Court heard that she had taken and passed her driving tests and was now a licensed river, Judge Watson convicted and discharged her on the careless use charge and the driving without a licence charge. On the charge of failing to stop after an accident she was convicted and sentenced to 25 hours community service. Theft in Christchurch Jason Collett, 22, ski mechanic of Ohakune, pleaded guilty to a charge of taking property valued at $750 from a dwelling house at Whitecliffs, Christchurch, on or about 10 January. Thepropertyincludedski boots which he knew he could sell on his retum to Ohakune. Court heard how Collett had previously been dependent on a drug habit and that this offence, committed earlier in the year, had resulted from his need to feed his habit. However, since the offence, Collett had undertaken a three month drug and alcohol re-habilitation course at Aspell House, had now moved away from his previous associates and had retumed to living at home with his parents. A number of affidavits testifying to his changed behaviour were submitted by his employers, parents and other members of the community. He was convicted and fined $700, court costs $95, and ordered to make a final reparation payment of $400 by 31 October. Counsel: Paul Brown.

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