Magistrate's Court Man Sent To Prison For Part In... (Press, 25 March 1975)

On 25 March 1975, the Magistrate's Court addressed several cases, including that of Russell Vernon Hatcher, a 32-year-old plasterer who was sentenced to nine months in prison for his involvement in an assault and receiving stolen money. Hatcher admitted to assaulting John Hocking and knowingly receiving $40 that had been dishonestly obtained from Hocking. His counsel argued that past homosexual advances made to Hatcher as a child might have influenced his violent reaction to Hocking's advances in a bar. However, the Magistrate, Mr W. F. Brown, was sceptical about the justification for the assault, considering that Hatcher had willingly chosen to engage with Hocking earlier that evening. The sentences for the assault and the receipt of stolen money were ordered to be served consecutively. In another case, trainee seaman Steven John Smau, aged 18, received a one-year probation period for theft and interference with a car. He was also fined and disqualified from driving for six months. The Magistrate expressed that while Smau came close to detention, he would be given an opportunity to reform. Phillip Summerton, a 19-year-old restaurant employee, was put on probation for a year after admitting to stealing goods valued at $48.50. The stolen items included clothing that Summerton had seen on someone days after the theft. Wayne Trevathan, 24, had his sentence extended by one month after escaping from the Rolleston Detention Centre. Found guilty of stealing an overcoat, his new sentence was one month, served concurrently with his existing 18-month sentence. Nineteen-year-old David Hansen received a five-month periodic detention for driving while disqualified. Additionally, a 17-year-old youth, Rockford Hill, was remanded in custody on multiple charges, including escaping from custody and car theft. Peter Fleming, 20, was fined for littering and for throwing a beer bottle onto the road. Kieron Michael Arlow, 17, faced six charges, including stealing money and a wallet, and was remanded in custody. He had improperly used a friend's licence to rent a car. Three individuals, including two men and a young woman, were fined for obstructing police during an arrest at a hotel. They interfered when the police attempted to detain a girl for not providing her details. The Magistrate stated that such interference complicates police work. Gregory Dowling, a 17-year-old meat trimmer, was fined and placed on probation for stealing a driver's licence and driving while disqualified in Upper Hutt. Gilbert Crotty, 26, was fined for receiving stolen cigarettes, having initially been unaware of their origins. In a serious case, a 49-year-old man, whose name was suppressed, received a sentence for indecently assaulting an 11-year-old girl in New Brighton. The Magistrate ordered psychological evaluation and treatment rather than imprisonment, considering the man's remorse and service in the military. Linda Matau, a 23-year-old housewife, was put on probation for stealing from a store and a hire service. Lastly, Robert Mitchell, 43, received four months of periodic detention for assaulting his de facto wife, after pleading guilty to the charge.

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