Conviction after power theft U 19s fail to apply

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 247, 21 June 1988, Page 12

Conviction after power theft

U 19s fail to apply

Charmaine Larisha Green, 26, solo parent of Raetihi, appeared before Judge E. W. Unwin in the Ohakune District court early June to defend two charges of fraudulently using electricity to the total estimated value of $2271.06 between September 16, 19 85 and February 19, 1988. The charges w e r e brought under the Crimes Act 1961, sections 218 and 227 on behalf of the Wan-ganui-Rangitikei Electric Power Board. The first prosecution witness was Graham McGrath, assistant general manger and chief engineer of the Wanganui-Rangitikei Electric Power Board. He told the court that, as a result of unusual house meter readings from a property i n Duncan Street, Raetihi, he had installed a poletop check meter outside the address. Witness presented to the court two schedules showing the difference between the pole-top and house meter readings over a period of 64 days. He confirmed that defendant was the account holder at the address in question. They showed that for one period, while the pole-top check meter showed that 3465 units of electricity had been used, the house meter had recorded only 133 units. During another check the reading was 443 at the pole-top meter while the house meter registered only 6 units. Witness told the court that the average consumption of a domestic dwelling in Raetihi was about 850-900 units per month.

Asked to outline how the average household used that number of units, witness said a hot water cylinder used about 20 units per day; a family fridge (five units per day); an automatic washing machine (about five units per wash); tumble-drier (one unit per hour); single bar heater (one unit per hour); one 60watt bulb (one unit per 12 hours). With the use of an electric range and electric jug this would bring the average consumption up to about 30 units per day. Asked if a mother and child could live in a house whose meter showed such a low level of consumption as those recorded (139 units over 64 days), witness replied: "only if they turned nothing on, didn't shower and didn't use an electric jug." Witness then described how a meter could be prevented from recording. Asked by Judge Unwin why it had taken so long for the problem to come to light after such a significant drop in power consumption, witness said that the computer accounting system couldn't detect such faults but he had taken immediate action (installing the pole-top check meter) as soon as it had been brought to his attention. Asked why the estimated value of the electricity used before the pole-top check was installed was higher than the average reading for a home in

Raetihi witness replied: "Because when you're not paying for it you're inclined to use more." The next prosecution witness was police constable Wayne Mills of Raetihi. He told the court that he had interviewed defendant at her home on two occasions the first on June 16, 1987 and again on February 19, 1988. He noted that the house contained an electric stove, fridge, a hot water cylinder, a washing machine, a large chest freezer, an electric kettle, a television and a video. There were electric lights throughout the house and witness saw no other source of power for heating or lighting. On the second occasion he produced, in court, a plant tag that he removed from the house's meter on the second visit. Defendant then took the witness stand to testify on her own behalf. She confirmed that she was the occupant and power account holder at 12 Duncan Street, Raetihi. She told the court that during the time she has been in the house she had received and paid the power accounts regularly and no one else got the account. She told the court that as a result of receiving two earlier accounts (one for $264 and another for $240) she had sought budgeting advice and been told to set aside $30-$50 per fortnight to cover the

cost of power. Asked under cross examination if she thought there was anything odd about getting an account for only $10.50 for the period from July to September 1986 in view of the earlier winter accounts for $264 and $240 defendant replied: "I go away sometimes." Prosecution: "Were you away from your house for 61 days when no power consumption at all was recorded?" Defendant: "Can't say." Prosecution: "Were you away later for a 60day period?" Defendant: "I sometimes go to the South Island to visit my father." Prosecution: "When did you last go to the South Island and for how long." Defendant: "Sometime last year ... I can't remember the date." Prosecution: "Of that 60-day period were you at home for even one day?" Defendant: "I can't say ... I don't remember." Prosecution: "Can you explain how over an eight day period when you were in the house you used only six units of electricity?" Defendant: "No." Prosecution: "Can you explain how your electricity April 13, 1987 to June 11, 1987, a period of two months, came to only $8.97?" Defendant: "No." Prosecution: "Do you ever go to the meter box?" Defendant: "Yes . . . I used to keep my house

keys in it." Prosecution: "The power board says someone must have been putting in and pulling out a plastic tag over the past 20 months to prevent the meter working . . . do you know anything about it?" Defendant: "I don't know nothing." Judge Unwin asked defendant why, after budgeting $30-$50 per fortnight for her power bill, she didn't question the $10.50 account when it arrived but defendant was unable to explain. In his summing up Judge Unwin said that while the fact of fraudulent use of electricity amounting to theft was not in dispute it was for the court to determine who was responsible for that theft. On the evidence presented to court there had obviously been a systematic and consistent attempt to interfere with the operation of the meter over a period of 20 months. It was clear that the plastic tag had been put into and taken from the meter on at least 20 occasions so that when the meter reader arrived, only a small amount of electricity would have been recorded. Defendant had told the court that she had been to the South Island on two occasions to see her father but said she couldn't remember when nor how often she'd been away during the various periods concerned. Nor could defendant explain the dramatic drop in her power bills and she did not question them. "The real question in this case is whether defendant knew about the tampering with the meter. "Now defendant might have believed she had a fairy god-father who inserted and extracted the plastic tag but, in *the final analysis, the linference drawn from the evidence is that she knew what was going on whether or not she was personally responsible. "I therefore find the charges established." In addition to the $2271 claimed for fraudulent use of electricity, the WanganuiRangitikei Electric Power Board also lodged a claim for expenses of $531 incurred by the board in investigating the matter. Defendant was convicted and remanded to appear in the Ohakune District Court on July 8 for a reparation report and sentenced. Counsel: Jim Rota of Wanganui.

Utiku & Old Boys were hard on the attack from the kick-off in the rugby game against the Ohakune-Karioi Under-19s at Taihape on Saturday. Ohakune-Karioi did not immediately apply themselves and with the backs not finding touch several scrums close to their line

Utiku scored a try after 2 minutes. A bit more possession saw Ohakune-Karioi back into the game but with 10 minutes to half time several OhakuneKarioi backs failed to control the loose ball. From the ensuing scrum close to the line Utiku scored handy to the posts and converted.

Utiku forwards and backs played with confidence and were soon to score wide out with the help of some very poor tackling from Ohakune-Karioi forwards and backs. Half time came with the score Utiku and Old Boys 14, OhakuneKarioi nil. After half time Ohakune-Karioi decided to make better use of the ball with forwards driving as a pack and backs keeping the ball in front of play. With some intelligent kicking and hard running from the backs Utiku were desperate on d e fence to h o 1 d Ohakune-Karioi out. Play for the rest of the game was mainly in Utiku and Old Boys' half but with good defence keeping OhakuneKarioi out. Utiku spent the last five minutes hard on attack with several scrums close to the Ohakune-Karioi line stretching their defence. Full time saw a scoreless second half with no change in the result Utiku 14, OhakuneKarioi nil. Jason Haitana playing his first fame at hooker taking several tig.ht heads was named Player of the Day.