Ohakune District Court

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 2, Issue 40, 26 March 1985, Page 8

Ohakune District Court

The following cases were heard by Judge E. W. Unwin in the Ohakune District Court on Thursday 21 March 1985. Ivan Te Manaaki Wiari, 36, plant supervisor of Tangiwai, pleaded guilty through counsel, Mr D. G. Harvey, to receivinga stolen Orion video recorder valued at $1,800. The recorder had been stolen from Wanganui in early February. On 17 February, the defendant had been telephoned by his brother-in-law who offered him the recorder for $400 cash. Wiari paid the money and when he was spoken to by the police, admitted that he knew it had been stolen and that he had a conscience about it. Mr Harvey, in his submissions, provided a reference from Wiari's employers, who think highly of him and have no intention of dismissing him from their employ. An order for supression of name was requested for the employer's sake, but His Honour denied this saying that the only form of deterrent in cases like these was the publication of the defendant's name. He ordered that Wiari return the recorder and % fined him $450 with $35 court costs: ★ ★ ★ Leonard Reihana, 39, mill hand of Ohakune, pleaded guilty to intentionally damaging one blanket valued at 529.85. the property of the New Zealand Police. He was convicted and fined $50 with $35 court costs and ordered to pay compensation to the police for the blanket within 30 days or receive 7 days imprisonment. ★ ★ ★ Thomas Shane Mareikura, 26, plant operator of Ohakune, pleaded not guilty to stealing one baridsaw valued at $200 from Winstone Samsung Lhnited between 1-31 December 1984. Mareikura, who was represented by Mr D. G. Harvey, was remanded until Friday 26 April for the defended hearing. ★ ★ ★ William Callaghan, 18, machine operator of Ohakune, appeared on a charge of driving a motor vehicle while the proportion of alcohol in his blood exceeded 80 milligrams per t 100 millilitres of blood. The

D.S.I.R. reading was 182 milligrams. He was also charged with failing to stop after an accident and that he unlawfully and without colour of right, but not so as to be guilty of theft, converted to his own use a 1979 Toyota van valued at $1 1,000, the property of his employers, Combined Logging Company Ltd. After the court heard Mr D. G. Harvey enter a guilty plea on behalf of his client, the police told His Honour that permission had been given to the defendant to use the vehicle to and from his home only. On the night in question, Callaghan had been drinking in the Ohakune Hotel when he entered the car park adjacent to Cedar Service Station at a speed at which he later admitted had been too fast. He had braked to slow down and while braking skidded into a small truck. The Toyota vehicle was badly damaged but only minor damage was caused to the truck Mr Harvey submitted that his client had been walking back to the scene of the accident when the police stppped him. Judge Unwin convicted and fined Callaghan $300 with $35 court costs and 12 months disqualification on the first charge, $100 with $35 court costs and 12 months disqualification on the second charge and $200, $35 court costs, 12 months disqualification on the final charge. ★ ★ ★ Eric Anderson Howe, 21, bushman of Ohakune pleaded not guilty to causing bodily injury to Ian Crawford Thomas by carelessly using a motor vehicle at Karioi on 15 December 1984. He was remanded at large until 26 April 1985. ★ ★ ★ Christopher Keith Parker, .35, supervisor pf Taupo pleaded not guilty to assaulting Robert James Ross on 12 September 1984 at Ohakune. Parker, who was remanded at large until 26 April, will defend the case himself. ★ ★ ★ Sonny Pikari, 21, mill hand of Ohakune pleaded guilty to intentionally damaging a 1980 Mazda at Ohakune on 11 February 1985. He had been drinking at the Ohakune Hotel when at about 9.45pm he rushed out orito the road and kicked a door of the car causing $48 worth of damage. He had since apologised to the owner and had paid her $48 to cover repair costs.

Pikari admitted to -His Honour that he had had too much to drink. He was convicted and fined $40 with $35 court costs. ★ ★ ★ Tony Anthony John Pikari, 18, of Raetihi, pleaded guilty to stealing the front left hand wheel from a vehicle in Raetihi to put on his own car which had sustained a puncture. Pikari, who is already on probation, was convicted and remanded until 26 April 1985 for a Probation Officer's report. ★ ★ ★ John Kenneth Peters, 21, bush worker of Raetihi, was remanded without plea until 26 April on a charge of driving in Ward Street, Raetihi on 19 January 1985 while disqualified from holding or obtaining a licence. ★ ★ ★ Arthur Leslie McCarthy, 54, licenced operator of Raetihi, was discharged without conviction after His Honour heard from counsel, Mr D. G. Harvey, that his client had been a victim of circumstances. He was stopped by the Ministry of Transport at Mt Messengerat 5am on 17 July 1984, two hours after his permit allowing him to compete with the Railways, had expired. At the time he had been carrying logs between National Park and New Plymouth. The road from Raetihi to the Raurimu Spiral had been closed for a period of time, delaying McCarthy from leaving Raetihi. When he finally left, he encountered a blocked road at the Spiral and he assisted in clearing the road, this took 2 Vi hours. His Honour said the breach was unintentional and ordered McCarthy to pay $56 to the Lands and

Survey for their fee in ascertaining the kilometre rate. ★ ★ ★ Luke Smith, 45, shepherd of Ruatiti (also known as Paul Botica), pleaded guilty to operating a motor vehicle in Ward Street, Raetihi on 19 January 1985 when that vehicle did not have a current W.O.F. and that he further drove that vehicle whilst the proportion ot alcohol in his blood was 750 microgrammes per litre of breath. He was convicted and ordered to pay court costs of $35 on the first charge and fined $300 with $35 court costs plus a disqualification of six months on the latter charge. ★ * ★ Peter Wayne Aranhanga, 21, forestry worker of Raetihi, pleaded guilty to failing to ascertain an injury after carelessly using a motor vehicle. Mr P. G. Brown said that' his client was now a solo father with a six month old baby and was in no position to pay any fine as he was currently paying Avis Rental Cars back $713 for damage done to a vehicle that he had driven into on the evening oi 26 September 1984. He had "freaked out" after the incident and had foolishly left the scene but had subsequently admitted liability. Mr Brown further submitted that community work would be a more suitable penalty for his client and that he would be able to obtain care for his child when he was absent. Judge Unwin thoughi that the defendant had been punished monetarily b\ Avis, and ordered that he pay $35 court costs on two charges and be further disqualified from driving l o. a period of six months.