Ohakune District Court

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 3, Issue 47, 6 May 1986, Page 9

Ohakune District Court

The following cases were heard by Judge L.E. Laing in the Ohakune District Court last Thursday. Sergeant Neil Coker appeared for the police prosecution and Traffic Officer Ian Harrison appeared for the Ministry of Transport. ★ ★ ★ , Ricky John McLeod, 19, unemployed of Ohakune, was charged with three offences related to firearms (including two shotguns, one .22 and one 303 calibre rifle) and four charges of breaking and entering a building (the Waimarino Bulletin office, the Presbyterian Opportunity shop, Waimarino Wines and the Ski Shed) with intent to commit a crime. On the three charges related to firearms he was convicted and sentenced to six months imprisonment and on the four burglary charges he was sentenced to six months imprisonment, the sentence to be served concurrently — a total of 12 months. Counsel: D. Harvey. ★ ★ ★ Trevor Murdoch Henare, 20, unemployed of Ohakune, appeared for sentence on one charge of disorderly behaviour and one charge of being in possession of an offensive weapon. On the disorderly behaviour charge he was fined $ 1 50, court costs $35. On the possession of an offensive weapon charge he was fined $250, court costs $35. Counsel: P. Brown. ★ ★ ★

Richard Hohepa Wharehinga, 1 8, forestry worker of Raetihi, appeared for sentence of three changes of burglary. He was fined $300, court costs $35 and ordered to make reparation payments of $50per week. Counsel: P. Brown. ★ ★ ★ Rhys Colin Mudgway, 1 9, of Ohakune, appeared for sentence on two charges of driving while having blood alcohol in excess of the legal limit. He was fined $750, court costs $35 and disqualified from driving or holding a driver's licence for 12 months. Counsel: P. Brown. ★ ★ ★ James Wayne Christensen, 31, shearer of Raetihi, appeared on one charge of driving while disqualified on 21 December last year and one charge of driving with excess blood alcohol, both offences occurring on SH49 at Makarunui. On the driving while disqualified charge defendant was fined $300, court costs $35, and on the excess blood alcohol charge defendant was fined $350, court costs $35. He was ordered to pay $32 medical costs and $38 DSIR fees. He was disqualified from driving for six months on each charge, the disqualification periods to be cumulative — a total of 12 months. Counsel: D. Harvey ★ ★ ★ George Ashford Pekamu, 19, unemployed of Ohakune, faced one charge of unlawfully getting into a vehicle on 12 April, one

charge of stealing clothing and accessories from the Ski Shed in Ohakune on 20 April and one charge of receiving wines and liqueurs from the Waimarino Wines premises in Cedar Mall on 13 April. He was remanded on bail of $500 to appear for a probation officer's report and sentence in the Ohakune District Court on 23 May Counsel: D. Harvey. ★ ★ ★ Benjamin Cashell, 27, sickness beneficiary of Whakatane, pleaded guilty to theft of petrol valued at $ 1 3 from the Cedar Service Station on 25 February. Defendant operated the petrol bowser cut-off switch to return the recorded figures to zero having partially filled the vehicle's tank. He was remanded on bail of $500 to appear in the Whakatane District Court on 14 May. CounsekD. Harvey. ★ ★ ★ Edward Rua Rata, 19, unemployed of Ohakune, faced one charge of unlawfully, without colour of right, taking a vehicle (a Holden valued at $1500) for his own use but not so as to be guilty of theft, from the Ohakune Club carpark on 12 April, one charge of breaking and entering a building (Waimarino Wines, Ohakune) with intent to commit a crime involving $800 worth of wines and liqueurs on 13 April, one charge of breaking and entering a building (The Ski Shed, Ohakune) involving the theft of clothing and accessories valued at $2,000, one charge of receiving a set of ring spanners and one charge of receiving a hockey stick valued at $40 knowing it to have been stolen or dishonestly obtained. Defendant was remanded in custody to appear in the Wanganui District Court on 7 May for a probation officer's report and sentence. Judge Laing told the defendant who had arrived in Ohakune from Auckland only a few weeks earlier: "Your presence in Ohakune hasn't done ydu any good . norhasit done Ohakune any ^ good either." ★ ★ ★ Stanley James Nathan, 20, labourer of Raetihi, was charged with the theft of a Ford Zephyr Mk3 motor vehicle valued at $1000 on 5 April. He was convicted and fined $750, court costs $35. ★ ★ ★ Neal Boyd Green, 22, driver of Ohakune, pleaded guilty to assaulting Kevin Flintoff of Ohakune in the public bar of the Ohakune Hotel on 4 April. Complainant suffered a brokerf nose as a result of the assault. Defendant was convicted and fined $100, court costs $35.

Bradley Ford Bowring, 21, trapper of Raetihi, was to have appeared on one charge of stealing a Ford Zephyr Mk3 motor vehicle valued at $ 1 000, two charges of driving while disqualified and one charge of breaking and entering a building to commit a crime therein. Failing his appearance in court a warrant for his arrest was issued. ★ ★ ★ George Lee Hemara, 17, presser of Ohakune, faced two charges of burglary. He was fined $150, court costs $35 on each charge and ordered to make full reparation of $81 of which $40.50 had already been paid. Witness expenses of $82 were also awarded against defendant. Counsel: P. Brown. ★ ★ ★ Walter Reid, 25, forest hand of Ohakune, was to have appeared for a defended hearing on a charge of being in unlawful possession of a firearm in a public place. When he failed to appear his legal counsel, Mr Paul Brown, requested and was granted permission to withdraw from the case. On behalf of the Court, Judge Laing apologised to the two witnesses who had come to Ohakune — one from Palmerston North, the other from Paihiatua — to give evidence. "It is unjust and regrettable that two members of the public should be expected to travel all that way to sit around court all day with possibly a loss of wages to give evidence in a case where the defendant doesn't turn up," he said. A warrant was issued for the arrest of the defendant. ★ ★ ★ Emmanuei Howe, 2 1 , unemployed of Ohakune, appeared for sentence on a charge of being in unlawful possession of a sawn-off double barrelled Winchester shotgun. He was sentenced to four months imprisonment. Counsel: D. Harvey. Continued on page 18

Ohakune District Court

Continued from page 9 Carl Francis Perkins, 27, musician of Raetihi, who was to have appeared for a defended hearing on a charge of burglary failed to turn up at Court in time for a defended case to be conducted. The case was remanded to 19 June and defendant was informed, through police and legal counsel, that a warrant for his arrest would be issued on 1 9 May if a new bail bond is not signed. Counsel: P. Brown. ★ ★ ★ Jerry Tihe Henare, 17, unemployed of Ohakune, was charged with receiving one bottle of Tequila liqueur valued at $19.70 from Waimarino Wines knowing it to have been stolen or dishonestly obtained. He was also charged with unlawfully getting into a motor vehicle. On the first charge he was fined $50, court costs $35 and ordered to make restitution of $19.70. On the second charge he was conyicted and fined $75, court costs $35. ★ ★ ★ Kevin Thomas Hall, 28, mill-hand of Raetihi, faced a charge of driving while having breath alcohol in excess of the legal limit at Taihape on 25 January during a random stop. He was convicted and fined $400, court costs $35 and disqualified from driving for six months. ★ ★ ★ Georgina Maude Kahaki, 37, housewife of Ohakune, was charged with stealing three packets of meat valued at $19.02 from the New World Supermarket. She was remanded to appear for a defended hearing, following a not guilty plea, in the Ohakune District Court on 23 May. ★ ★ ★

Murray Kenneth Brown, 27, painter of Ohakune, pleaded guilty to one charge of operating a vehicle without headlights and one charge of driving with excess breath alcohol in Ayr Street, Ohakune, on 3 1 January. Court heard how defendant had offered to drive his friend's motor car home from the Ohakune Hotel and it was the absence of headlights that first attracted the Traffic Officer's attention. He was fined $400, court costs $35 and disqualified from driving for six months on each charge, the disqualifications to be cumulative: a total of 12 months. Counsel: D. Harvey. ★ ★ ★ Ronald Wilson Haitana 30, shearer of Raetihi, was to have appeared to face a charge of theft of a 10 speed bicycle valued at $180. When he failed to appear a warrant for his arrest was issued. ★ ★ ★ Philip Puhi Maniapoto, 36, unemployed shearer of Ohakune, was charged with assault on a female. The offence occured in the Ohakune Hotel on 8 March He was convicted and fined $400, court costs $35. Counsel: D. Harvey. ★ ★ * Sylvia Edith Racette, 24, unemployed chef of Ohakune, faced two charges of intent to defraud, one involving seat covers valued at $186 and one involving clothing valued at $375.25. Court heard from police how defendant now faced several other similar charges and a remand was requested in order to ascertain the details. Defendant was remanded to appear in the Ohakune

District Court on 23 May on bail of $500. ★ ★ ★ David Ivan Rex Ebbutt, 22, sickness beneficiary formerly of Wangaehu, faced one charge of theft of petrol, one charge of receiving a video cassette valued at $1995, one charge of possessing a pipe for the purpose of smoking cannabis, one charge of possessing cannabis, one charge of driving while having excess blood alcohol, one charge of failing to stop for a traffic officer, two charges of driving while disqualified and two charges of dangerous driving. All matters were transferred to No 3 Court in Wellington on 12 May on information of guilty plea. Bail and reporting clause in Porirua to continue. Counsel: P. Brown. ★ ★ ★ Krishane Hiroti, 19, shearer of Raetihi, pleaded guilty to one charge of careless use of a vehicle on SH49 while travelling towards Raetihi and one charge of failing to stop after an accident involving another vehicle on 20 March. He was fined $50, court costs $35 and ordered to pay compensation of $150 for the damage caused within two months. He was disqualified from driving for six months. ★ ★ ★ Tex Tuwenua Turirangi, unemployed of Pipiriki, appeared to face a charge of careless use of a motor vehicle, having no warrant of fitness and driving a vehicle with insufficient tread on the tyres. These charges resulted from an accident on 30 January when defendant lost control of his vehicle in loose metal on the Pipiriki road. No other vehicle was involved. He was disqualified for one month. ★ ★ ★ Piki Karauria, 75, retired driver of Ohakune, was charged with careless use of a vehicle on SH49 on 19 November last year. The defendant was remanded without bail to appear in the Ohakune District Court on 23 May. ★ ★ ★ Ann Elisabeth Gardner, Thomas Henry Bail and Sandra Jane Bail, farmers of Ohakune, were further remanded to appear in the Ohakune District Court on 19 June on charges breaching a temporary permit. Counsel: D. Harvey. ★ ★ ★ Aaron Tremain Prior Horne, 18, labourer of Raetihi, was charged with dangerous driving on 3 March thereby foreing another vehicle off the road. He was fined $400, court costs $35 and disqualified from driving for nine months. ★ ★ ★ Robert Charles Tahai McLean, 23, labourer of Taihape, was charged with driving while disqualified. He was ordered to appear in the Taihape District Court for a defended hearing on 19 June following a not guilty plea. Counsel: D. Harvey.