The Courts Man Who Intended To Take Cannabis To... (Press, 16 July 1977)

On 16 July 1977, Robert Malcolm Haines, a 19-year-old man, was convicted on four drug-related charges in the Magistrate's Court. The case was presided over by Mr. N. L. Bradford, S.M., with Haines remanded in custody until 22 July for a probation report and sentencing. Sergeant B. G. Saunders provided details about the police search conducted at Haines' residence on 28 June, during which officers discovered 180 sticks of cannabis, totalling 103.8 grams, wrapped in tinfoil. Testimonies from other residents revealed that Haines had sold cannabis to them, with one individual stating he paid $10 and another more than $100 for the drug. Haines admitted to selling cannabis for about four months, starting small but progressing to larger quantities. He claimed his supply came from various sources and stated he was selling the drug to settle a car payment and had exchanged cannabis for stolen property. Another case involved 26-year-old Myrna Wallace, who also faced drug charges for possessing cannabis with intent to sell. She was found to have 45.6 grams of cannabis at her address, which she had purchased for $260, intending to sell it in $10 portions. Wallace pleaded guilty and was similarly remanded until 22 July for sentencing. In a separate incident, Christopher Joseph Tuanui, an unemployed machine operator, was sentenced to four months of periodic detention for assaulting a police constable and was discharged on an obscene language charge. Tuanui had caused a disturbance on a bus on 14 July and assaulted Constable C. H. Edwards while being questioned by the police. Yvor Allan Lahete, 26, was convicted and fined $150 for being a rogue and vagabond after he followed undercover policemen from a public toilet, inquiring about potential sexual encounters. The court took a strong stance against his behaviour. Alan Lawrence Shakes received a month in jail for driving under the influence and reckless driving, after being found asleep in his car. His driver’s licence was suspended for three years, and he was placed on probation for 12 months upon release. The Magistrate highlighted the dangerous nature of his driving behaviour. Wayne Derek Kirkness faced 24 charges of burglary and attempted burglary, with the Magistrate imposing a one-year jail sentence, noting the sustained nature of his offending across different Christchurch properties between April and June. Peter Raponi, aged 22, was sentenced to a year in jail for burglary-related offences, with the court noting his chronic drug dependency as a significant factor in his criminal behaviour. Lastly, two young women, Olive Epps and Terri Derbyshire, both in their twenties, were sentenced to 18 months' probation and required to complete 100 hours of community work for stealing a cassette player worth $270 from an unlocked car. The Magistrate deemed their actions as impulsive.

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