OHAKUNE DISTRICT COURT

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 231, 16 February 1988, Page 8

OHAKUNE DISTRICT COURT

The following cases were heard by Judge E.W. Unwin in the Ohakune District Court last Friday. Sergeant Neil Coker appeared for the police. Traffic Officer Ian Harrison appeared for the MoT. ★★★ Arrest warrant Trevor John Bolstad, 28, machine driver of Blenheim, was to have appeared on a charge of false pretences Committed in 1986. When he did not appear a warrant for arrest was issued. ★ ★★ Life & times update Ross James Burrows, 22, ski mechanic of Ohakune, was to have appeared on one charge of careless use of a motor vehicle on 6 October last ycar at the Miro Street/Shannon Street intersection in Ohakune and to one charge of driving with excess blood alcohol on the same date and at the same place. His counsel assured the Court that the fact that defendant was presently in Australia did not indicate he had travelled there to avoid appearing in Court to face the above charges. In remanding the defendant to appear in Court at a future date, Judge Unwin commented that the Court would then expect to get "an update on the life and times of Ross Burrows". Counsel: D.G. Harvey. ★ ★★

Car keys Martinus Dekker, 30, of Raetihi, pleaded not guilty to a charge of theft of car keys valued at $7.50 on 25 November last year. He was remanded to appear in the Ohakune District Court on 3 March for a defended hearing. Counsel: D.G. Harvey. ★ ★★ Hotel burglary Keith Nelson Ellery, 25, labourer of Ohakune, pleaded not guilty to a charge of burglary alleged to have been committed at the Ohakune Hotel on 29 December. He was remanded on statutory bail to appear in the Ohakune District Court on 14 April for a defended hearing. ★ ★★ Drench theft Wayne Eru-Te-Hopu, 20, unemployed of Taihape, pleaded guilty to theft as a servant. Court heard how defendant had given away a tin o f drench valued at $120 which belonged to his employer. Defendant had not benefited in any way from his actions and the drench has since been returned to its rightful owner. He was convicted and fined $150, court costs $55. Counsel: D.G. Harvey. ★ ★★ Custody Charmaine Larisha Green, 25, solo parent of Raetihi appeared for sentencing on one charge of permitting premises to be used for an offence under the Misuse of Drugs Act and one charge of possession of utensils used to commit an offence under the same Act. Defendant had been found guilty after a defended hearing in December last year. In reminding defendant that this was her second such offence and any future transgressions could prejudice the custody of her child as a "fit and proper person to look after children", Judge Unwin sentenced defendant to a total of 80 hours community work on each charge - a total of 160 hours. Five charges Henry Lewis Hairana, 28, sickness beneficiary of Raetihi, faced a total of five charges. He pleaded guilty to two charges of wilful trespass at the Ruapehu Hotel in Raetihi on 19 and 24 December, one charge of refusing to comply with an order to leave licensed premises having been served with a trespass notice by the licensee three weeks earlier and to one

charge of resisting a police constable in the execution of his duty. To a charge of escaping from legal custody while under arrest on 24 December he pleaded not guilty. On the four guilty pleas he was remanded to appear for a probation officer's report and sentenee in the Ohakune District Court on 3 March. On the not guilty plea of escaping from custody he was remanded to 14 April for a defended hearing on the condition that he not enter any licensed premises in the meantime. ★ ★★ No iicence Trevor M u r d o c h Henare, 20, labourer of Ohakune, pleaded guilty to a charge of driving a motor vehicle in Ohakune on 15 November 1987 while never having had or qualified for a driving Iicence. Court was told that defendant had since applied for a driving Iicence and was going for a test at the end of this month. He was convicted and fined $50 and disqualified for 17 days (until he obtained his Iicence). ★ ★★ Dangerous driving Richard Kare Horne, 21, unemployed labourer of Raetihi, faced a total of four charges to which he pleaded guilty. He was charged with dangerous driving, driving a motor vehicle without a current WoF, driving a motor vehicle without sufficient tread on the tyre and driving a motor vehicle without ever having had a driving Iicence. All the charges arose out of an incident in Seddon Street, Raetihi, on 29 January. Court heard how defendant had driven a car on the footpath in Seddon Street, Raetihi, between the verandah posts and shop fronts on the southern side of the street. Defendant had allegedly driven forward at speeds of up to 100 km/h while engaging reverse gear so that he could perform wheel spins before engaging first gear so that, whilst travelling backwards, he could perform wheel spins in the opposite direction. Court was told by Counsel the defendant had been drinking at a party on the night in question and suspected that his drinks had been 'laced'. He had no recollection of the events alluded to but police had received six emergency phone calls reporting the incident. In sentencing defendant to 3 months non- residential periodic detention and disqualifying him from

driving for 12 months Judge Unwin said that defendant would never drive again until he had obtained the appropriate Iicence. He was ordered to pay costs. Counsel: P. Brown. ★ ★★ Excess alcohol Sean David Inkersole, 21 of Auckland, pleaded guilty to a charge of driving with excess blood alcohol on SH4 between Raetihi and Wanganui on 26 December. Court heard how defendant, who had been sharing the driving with two other occupants of the motor vehicle, had lost control on the Parapara Scenic Highway south of Raetihi. The car had left skid marks of 100 metres before going off the road. Defendant was convicted and fined $300, court costs $55 and ordered to pay $98 medical expenses and $59 DSIR fees. Counsel: P. Brown. ★ ★★ Careless vehicle use Ross Hamilton Jenkins, 21, plant operator of Raetihi, pleaded guilty to one charge of careless use of a motor vehicle in Seddon Street Raetihi, on 14 December and to one charge of driving with excess blood alcohol on the same date and at the same place. Court heard how defendant's car had collided with another motor vehicle which had been incorrectly parked. On the careless use charge he was convicted and fined $75, court costs $55. On the excess blood alcohol charge defendant was convicted and fined $300, court costs $55 and ordered to pay $98 medical expenses and $59 DSIR fees. He was disqualified from driving for 9 months. Counsel: D.G. Harvey. To keep clear Wati Makiri, 48, bushman of Coromandel, pleaded not guilty to a total of five charges. These were: assaulting a female; wilful damage to household property valued at $800; wilful damage to a building at 106 Seddon Street amounting to $870; burglary; indecent assault on a female. All the charges arose from an incident in Raetihi on 22 December last year. He was remanded on statutory bail to appear in the Ohakune District Court on 3 March on the provision he does not associate with complainants in the meantime and keeps clear of 106 Seddon Street, Raetihi. ★ ★★ Cont'd onp. 18

OHAKUNE DISTRICT COURTi

Cont'dfrom p. 8 _ Example Hillary Pirihia Metekingi, 30, housewife of Raetihi, appeared for sentence on a charge of possession of cannabis to which she had been found guilty after a defended hearing in the Ohakune District Court on 17 December last year. In sentencing defendant to 40 hours community work he reminded her of her responsibilities to set an example. ★ ★★ No plea Hemi James Mills, 31, shearer of Raetihi, was remanded at large without plea to appear in the Ohakune District Court on 3 March on a charge of driving while disqualified on SH49 on 18 December last year. ★ ★★ No appearance Karl Francis Perkins, 28, self-em-ployed musician of Raetihi, was to have appeared on a charge of breaching periodic detention at Te Awamutu last year. In describing the case as "something of a saga" probation officer Robert Ellis of Taihape, asked the Court for advice as to how the matter could be resolved. The case was adjourned to 3 March. ★ ★ ★ Liquor burglary John David Pikari, 34, unemployed of Ohakune, pleaded guilty to a charge of burglary on 19 December last year. Court heard how defendant, with an associate, had entered a premises. in Grey Street, Raetihi, and stolen bottles of liqueur, whiskey and a quantity of small change. He was convicted and remanded to appear in the Ohakune District Court on 3 March for a probation officer's report and sentence. Counsel: D.G. Harvey. ★ ★★ Wilful trespass William Peter Pikari, 24, of Ohakune pleaded guilty to a total of three charges. He had been charged with wilful trespass at the Ruapehu Hotel in Raetihi on 20 January, resisting a police constable in th« execution of his duty anc using insulting words to ar

off-duty police constable| in Seddon Street. ■ On the charge of using insulting words he was convicted and fined $100. On the other charges he was convicted and sentenced to one month's nonresidential periodic detention and reminded that he must not enter licensed premises for two years unless he obtains the consent of the licensee. Counsel: P. Brown. ★ ★★ Burglary charge Noel Malcolm Randall, 20, unemployed of Ohakune, pleaded not guilty to a charge of burglary alleged to have been committed at the Ohakune Hotel on 29 December. He was remanded on statutory bail to appear in the Ohakune District Court on 14 April for a defended hearing. No licence Steven John Scarrow, 29, labourer of Raetihi, pleaded guilty to one charge of driving a motor vehicle (a motor cycle) in Queen Street, Raetihi on 25 August last year while never having held a driving licence. He also pleaded guilty to riding a motor cycle without a current WoF. Court heard how defendant, who had applied for a driving licence, was having problems with the written and oral questions to be answered in the driving test but not with the practical aspects of driving. In convicting and fining -him S50 on the first charge and ordering him to pay court costs of S55 on the second charge Judge Unwin advised him to obtain a driving licence before driving again because a second offence could result in a fine of $1000. ★ ★★ Threatening charge Pauline Tina Taiaroa, 25, shedhand of Raetihi, pleaded not guilty to one charge of behaving in a threatening manner likely to cause violence and to one charge of obstructing a police constable in the execution of his duty. Both charges resulted from an incident in Seddon Street, Raetihi, on 9 December last year. She was remanded on statutory bail to appear in the Ohakune District Court on 3 March for a defended

hearing. ★ ★ ★ Graphic example Michael Wayne Te Huia, 24, railway surfaceman of Ohakune, pleaded guilty to a charge of driving with excess blood alcohol on SH49 between Ohakune and Raetihi on 4 December last year. Court heard how defendant's vehicle which had been travelling towards Raetihi had left the road, clipped the verge and overturned throwing the defendant out. Defendant, who appeared in the Court on crutches, suffered, among other injuries, a broken pelvis and had spent the past two months in hospital. "A graphic example of drinking and driving", commented Judge Unwin. He was convicted and fined S300, court costs S55 and ordered to pay medical expenses of $98, DSIR fees of S59. Counsel: P. Brown. ★ ★★ Careless use Peter David WestPrice, 25, truck driver of Raetihi, pleaded guilty to a charge of careless use of a motor vehicle on 2 January. Court heard how defendant had been "spotlighting" possums from the Waipuna Road, west of Raetihi on the night in question. The vehicle had failed to take a corner and had left the road but defendant had managed to jump clear as it fell into a gully. When Judge Unwin asked him how much he earned from possum hunting and whether it was worth the risk, defendant replied that he had made about $8000 so far this year. Judge Unwin told defendant that he should go out and shoot a few more as he was imposing a fine of $100, court costs $55. ★ ★★ Assault charge A solo parent from Raetihi who was granted interim suppression of name pleaded not guilty to Contd on back page.