Ohakune District Court

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 2, Issue 36, 26 February 1985, Page 9

Ohakune District Court

The following cases were heard by Judge E. W. Unwin on Thursday 21 February in the Ohakune District Court. Ann Elisabeth Gardner, 49, Sandra Jane Ball, 24, and Thomas Henry Ball, 27, all farmers of Ohakune, were further remanded until 23 May 1985. ★ ★ ★ John Kenneth Peters, 19, a bushman of Raetihi pleaded guilty to behaving in a disorderly manner on 2 1 January 1985 at the Raetihi Hotel. He was convicted and sentenced to two months non-residential periodic detention and was to report to the warden of the work centre in Wanganui where he now resides. Along with Philip Mason Ngatuere, 20, bushman of Raetihi, Peters appeared for sentencing on a charge of breaking and entering a shed belonging to Winstone Afforestation. Ngatuere was convicted and fined $400 with $35 court costs and was further

disqualified from holding a driver's licence for three months. Peters was sentenced to six months non-residential periodic detention and was ordered to report to the warden of the work centre. ★ ★ ★ 24 year-old Ohakune mill hand, Phillip Hamley Ellery appeared for sentencing on three charges which related to incidents at the Ohakune Police Station on 8 December 1984 in which he admitted assaulting the constable who was acting in the execution of his duty, that he further resisted the same constable and that he had a Class C controlled drug, namely cannabis, in his possession. Mr P. G. Brown told His Honour that an alcohol centre report indicated that whilst Ellery had an alcohol problem at the weekends, at all other times both his work and social activities during the week were satisfactory. The police sought compensation of $65 for a police radio that Ellery had broken

on the evening in question. His Honour convicted and fined the defendant $350 with court costs $35 on the charge of assaulting the constable with half that fine to be paid to the complainant. For resisting the constable he was fined $35 court costs and ordered to pay $65 for the radio and was finally fined $150 with $35 court costs for being in possession of the cannabis. ★ ★ ★ Peter David Gardiner, 25, linesman of Ohakune pleaded guilty to stealing one tin of Slick 50 engine additive valued at $50. Counsel, Mr D. G. Harvey, told the court that his client deeply regretted his actions and that as a result of the incident, he had been instantly dismissed by his employers, the King Country Electric Power Board, and was also given 14 days to vacate the house in which he and his wife were living, which is the property ofthe Electric Power Board. . At all times he had been co-operative with the police and had now found full time employment elsewhere. His Honour convicted and fined him $ 1 50 with $35 court costs. ★ ★ ★ Peter Craig Glendinning, 17, PEP labourer of Wanganui, pleaded guilty to siphoning 25 litres of aviation gasoline valued at $30 from an aeroplane owned by Rural Air Services on 1 February. He was convicted and fined $100 with $35 court costs and was further disqualified from holding or obtaining a driver's licence for six months. ★ ★ ★ Malcolm Bowring, 18, unemployed of Raetihi, appeared for sentencing on three charges of careless use ofrjmotor vehicle, driving without a driver's licence and being in a car that did

not have a current warrant of fitness. Bowring had been remanded in order that the Maori Warden could assist him in finding employment. He has since obtained a job in Auckland. He was convicted and fined $50 with $35 court costs on the first charge, and was further disqualified from holding a driver's licence for three months. On the other two charges, he was fined $35 court costs. ★ ★ ★ Tony Attila Horvath, a 1 7-year-old student from Wellington, pleaded not guilty to a charge of driving in a dangerous manner. Mr P. G. Brown acting on instructions from Horvath's solicitor, agreed that his client could be remanded at large until 21 March. Dennis Murray Honatana, 28, bushman of Raetihi, pleaded guilty to a charge that on 21 January 1985, having been removed by a member pf the police from Raetihi Hotel, entered the said premises on the same day. He was convicted and fined $50 with $35 court costs. William Peter Pikari, 22, bushman of Raetihi, was Continued on page 12.

Court continued

Continued from page 9. convicted and fined $100 with $35 court costs and was further disqualified from driving for a period of three months. The court heard that Pikari was seen on 13 November 1984, driving a motor vehicle in Ohakune whilst he was disqualified from doing so. The defendant told Judge Unwin that he thought he • had his licence back. Chhabi Ram, bush contractor of Ohakune pleaded guilty by letter to a charge brought against him by the ' Commissioner of Inland Revenue. Mr D.. G. Harvey admitted that his client had not filed an income tax return for the year ended 3 1 March 1983 as required by Section 4 1 6( 1 ) (a) of the Income Tax Act 1976. Mr P. G. Brown, who appeared for the Inland Revenue told the court that Ram had been sent three letters reminding him of his obligation under the Act. Mr Harvey said that Ram had been under the mistaken belief that his accountant was going to -file the return but that he found out towards the end of last year, that due to an outstanding amount held by the accountant, the return would not be filed until it had been settled. An Ohakune accountant had now undertaken to file the return. Ram was convicted and fined $40 with court costs of $ 1 5 and solicitor's fee of $20. Stanley Tukotuku Cashell, 17, plant operator of Taihape, was not present in court and through counsel, Mr D. G. Harvey, requested

a transfer to the Tauranga District Court on 12 March. A plea of guilty to two charges was entered, one of stealing an extension cord lead valued at $10 and a second charge of theft as a servant of one first aid medicine kit valued at $65. Wayne Francis Waara, 31, driver of Raetihi and Rowan Denzel Eves, 24, builder of Ohakune appeared on new charges under the Wild Animals Control Act. Counsel Mr P. G. Brown sought leave to withdraw the information regarding the theft of two sow pigs, a charge which the two had previously entered a not guilty plea to. Once the police had agreed to the change of charges, a guilty plea was indicated by both Waara and Eves. The court heard that on 17 November 1984, the two had entered a property in the Ruatiti Valley on horseback and with their dogs. The dogs picked up the scent of two wild pigs and led the defendants to them where — upon they killed the pigs, gutted them and carried them out. The owner's son observed the. pair leaving the property. $92.30 was sought for compensation of mileage incurred by the owner of the property for travel related to the case. Waara and Eves were convicted and fined $165 with $35 court costs, and were further ordered to pay the compensation. Amelia Waikoura Merritt, 24, unemployed of Wanganui, failed to appear in

court on a charge of stealing a Holden motor car valued at $800 on 10 October 1984 at Raetihi. Judge Unwin issued a warrant for her arrest. Adolphus Dolphy Kohu, 37, carver of Ohakune, appeared on a charge of receiving from person or persons unknown, shoes valued at $173.90, the property of Ohakune Shoes. Kohu, represented by Mr P. G. Brown, pleaded not guilty and was released on bail of his own bond of $500 until 21 March 1984 for a defended hearing. Phillip Tokoroa Graham, 20, prison inmate of Waikune pleaded guilty to breaking and entering a stores building in the Waikune Primary School on 1 1 February. . Graham, who is currently serving 17 months in Waikune Prison, had six weeks added to his sentence. His Honour added that he had no doiibt that Graham

would also lose some of his remission. Jacqueline Anne Fraser, 1 8, hotel worker of Ohakune was remanded at large for a defended hearing to be heard on 23 May 1985. Miss Fraser, who was represented by Mr D. G. Harvey, was charged with stealing six glasses valued at $15 and one towel worth $2 from her employers at the Ohakune Hotel. She entered a plea of not guilty. Mark Kenneth Hays, 25, skilled linesman of Ohakune was convicted on two charges relating to an incident in the Wanganui Base Hospital car park on 8 October 1984. Hays pleaded guilty to carelessly using a motor vehicle and failing to stop after the accident. Represented by Mr P. G. Brown, Hays was fined $50 with $35 court costs on the first charge and $100 with $35 court costs plus a disqualification from driving for three months, on the second charge.