Bar attack on publican 'a despicable offence'

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 13, Issue 630, 2 April 1996, Page 22

Bar attack on publican 'a despicable offence'

Jail term Colin Barry Phillips, 40, bushman of Raetihi, was

convicted and sentenced to 3-months in prison for a charge of assault with a weapon to which he had earlier pleaded guilty Phillips had become "upset" because he felt his 1 7 year old son with whom he had been drinking at the Ruapehu Hotel was being picked on and discriminated against when asked by the publican to leave as there were other under-age drinkers in the bar at the time. He attempted to hit the publican with his fists but when this failed he picked up a bar stool and attempted to hit him over the head with it but the blow was partially deflected and serious injury was avoided. In appealing for a non-custodial sentence for his client counsel Paul Brown said Phillips had voluntarily sought help by attending an anger management course. Judge Ross said the charge was very serious and there was a need for a deterrent sentence to dissuade others from behaving in a similar manner bars "Courts will not stand idly by and allow pub violence to go unpunished and this despicable offence set your 17 year old son a very poor example." . Phillips also received a 9-month's supervision during which he is to undertake anger management and attend literacy courses.

Final warning Joseph Hohepa Beckham, 38, market garden worker of Rangataua, was ordered to undertake a 6-month community programme when he appeared for sentence after earlier pleading guilty to assaulting a female (his partner) on 20 December last year. Judge Ross agreed with his counsel, Eric Forster, that the assault was at the lower end of the scale invol ving pushing and hair pulling after his partner had returned home from the Ohakune Hotel without him. The fact that both Beckham and the complainant had been drinking might have fuelled the situation and the complainant has acknowledged that her own drinking may have contributed to the incident, Court was told. In imposing the 6-month non-residential community programme sentence, Judge Ross issued a final warning to Beckham saying any further offending of this nature would result in a jail term. Pleaded guilty by letter Peter Neville Flight Fyers, 43 , company director of Auckland, pleaded guilty to a charge of careless use of a motor vehicle on SH 4 (the Parapara Road) on 29 December when he lost control and crashed on a hairpin bend. In convicting and fining Fyers $250, court costs $95, Judge Ross said it appeared

to be a question of a driver from a large city not being familiar with wet country roads, particularly the Parapara. No period of disqualification was imposed. Fined $1 200 David Panatahi Taku, 45, shearer of Raetihi, pleaded guilty to charges of dangerous driving and dri ving with excess breath alcohol (906:1) on Ohakune/Raetihi Road at about 10.20pm on 1 March. Taku was observed by a following police car to be travelling towards Raetihi at speeds in excess of 1 OOkm/h and was seen to cross over into the wrong lane twice. He had consumed a dozen large bottles of beer before getting into his car. In handing down sentence Judge Ross told Taku that it was fortunate that traffic was light that night and because there had been no on-coming vehicles what might have been a serious accident was averted. On the excess breath alcohol charge Taku was convicted and fined $300, court costs $95. A 15month disqualification period was imposed for the excess breath alcohol charge and a 9-month (concurrent) period of disqualification was imposed on the dangerous driving charge. Disqualified driving Robert Lewis Tumanako Paul, 1 8, unemployed

of Raetihi, was disqualified for 6 months when convicted of driving while disqualified on 19 December. He had received a 2-month disqualification on 16 November following a defended hearing on a careless use charge. He was seen by police on 29 December to be driving into Raetihi from Ohakune. On four other charges including burglary, assault on a police officer, resisting arrest and causing intentional damage to a Police Department shirt to which he has pleaded not guilty he was remanded to appear for a defended hearing on 27 June. Counsel: Paul Brown. Offensive behaviour Leslie James Christensen, 20, fruit picker of Tauranga (formerly of Raetihi) pleaded guilty to a charge of behaving in an offensive manner and to a charge of possession of utensils (a tin box, a razor and a wooden tube) for the purpose of committing an offence under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Both offences ocGurred on 8 March. On the charge of offensive behaviour Court heard how Christensen was seen to enter the Raetihi Plunket Rooms in Seddon Street by a member of the public who reported the matter to police. They found Christensen in a female toilet cubicle attaching glossy photographs of nude men and women to the walls of the cubicle. He was unable to offer an explanation. On the offensive behaviour charge he was convicted and fined $200, court costs $95,. On the possession of utensils charge he was convicted and fined $150, court costs $95. Counsel: Eric Forster.