OHAKUNE DISTRICT COURT

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 4, Issue 38, 10 March 1987, Page 9

OHAKUNE DISTRICT COURT

The following defended case was heard by Judge E. W. Unwin in the Ohakune District Court on Thursday 26 February. Gregory Addison, 27, linesman of Raetihi faced three charges related to an incident at the Ruapehu Hotel in Raetihi on 24 January. He pleaded guilty to a charge of intentionally breaking a window but not guilty to a charge of possessing an offensive weapon (a knife) and not guilty to a charge of assaulting Bruce Raymond Parr. Evidence was heard from the first prosecution witness, Bruce Raymond Parr of Auckland, as to how defendant had refused to leave the lounge bar of the Ruapehu Hotel at about 10.30pm as the result of using bad language. Witness said that he attempted to remove defendant with the help of his brother, Harold Leslie Parr, and two other persons. After a struggle they succeeded in removing the defendant to the footpath in Seddon Street outside the hotel but shortly thereafter one of the hotel windows was broken by an object thrown through it. Witness said that when he went outside to investigate he was told by some bystanders that they had seen defendant throw a beer can at the hotel window. Witness said that at a later stage, when he went to the

assistance of his brother Les Parr who was struggling with defendant round the back of the hotel, his brother had called out: "Look out ... he's got a knife." He saw a pocket-knife on the ground near defendant and picked it up. Witness said that he later helped escort the defendant to the Raetihi police station where he handed over the knife to Raetihi police constable Trevor Pullen. The next witness, Harold Leslie Parr, duty bar manager of the Ruapehu Hotel on the evening in question, testified that defendant had agreed he'd been swearing and had been asked to leave. When defendant refused to leave witness said that he had helped remove him to the street outside. Soon after witness returned to the hotel a window had been broken by something which had been hurled through it. Witness said that when he went outside to investigate, defendant was identified by bystanders as the person responsible for the broken window. When witness tried to persuade defendant to give himself up while police were called, defendant instead retreated across the road to the Waimarino Club carpark where, it is alleged, he challenged witness to a fight in the dark saying, witness claimed, "I've got a knife ... what have you got?" Witness said that when defendant had later run away behind the hotel he

had given chase and during the ensuing struggle had seen defendant Teaching for a knife lying on the ground nearby. It was at that stage he called out to his brother Bruce, who was coming to his assistance, "Look out ... he's got a knife." Constable Trevor Pullen of Raetihi was the third prosecution witness. He gave evidence that, in response to a call, he had gone to the Ruapehu Hotel at about 1 1pm on the evening in question. He had seen defendant and several members of the public outside the hotel in Seddon Street. Amongthem was a previous witness, Bruce Raymond Parr, who had a torn shirt, a jumper from which one sleeve had been ripped and whose hand had sustained a bite wound. Constable Pullen arrested defendant and requested the assistance of Ray Parr to escort defendant to the Raetihi police station. At the police station defendant admitted the knife was his saying that he always carried it in a pouch on his belt as he needed it for work. Defendant then appeared in the witness box to give evidence. He said that he'd been wearing his work trousers on which he always had a knife pouch attached to his belt. He admitted throwing a beer can through the hotel window but denied saying that he had challenged a previous witness to a fight or threatened to use a knife. Instead he testified that he had spoken the words: "fight for my life." During the ensuing fight with a previous witness behirid the hotel, defendant claimed that the knife was still in the belt pouch when he had been struck from behind and the knife had either been taken from or fallen from the pouch onto the ground. He produced the wellworn pouch in Court to demonstrate how easily the press-stud clasp could be opened. He denied threatening anyone with the knife and said that, being new to town, he had gone to the Ruapehu Hotel that evening to socialise and meet people. In his summing up Judge Unwin said there was obviously a serious difference in the testimony

between the defendant and the prosecution witnesses. "Your behaviour on that night in question seems to have been several light years away from your rational appearance in Court today." Judge found defendant guilty on the assault charge saying that the bite on the hand had been caused deliberately without provocation. On the possession of an offensive weapon charge defendant was also found guilty. Judge Unwin explained that while anyone could quite legally carry around a pocket»knife of the kind exhibited in Court, it had become an offensive and illegal weapon when it was referred to by the defendant in the circumstances alluded to. On the intentional damage to the window charge defendant was convicted and fined $50, court costs $38.50. On the charge of possessing an offensive weapon defendant was convicted and fined $300, court costs $38.50 and an order was made for the forfeiture of the knife. On the charge of assault defendant was convicted and fined $500, half of which was to be paid to the complainant. He was ordered to pay court costs of $38.50 and witness expenses of $ 1 30. He was also ordered to make reparation of $80 for the damaged clothing. Terms of imprisonment would be imposed if payments were not made within specified periods.