Attempted Fraud Charge (Press, 30 November 1984)

On 30 November 1984, a report detailed various criminal cases heard in the District Court. Toni Ariel Rogers, a 19-year-old unemployed transvestite, was charged with attempting to defraud using a stolen Diners Club card to acquire property valued at $10,000. Sergeant A. T. Smith stated that no stolen items had been recovered, and further charges were anticipated. Rogers was remanded in custody until 6 December by Judge Bisphan. In a separate case, 18-year-old Sharon Marie Cox received a sentence of up to 200 hours of community service for the robbery of a 15-year-old girl, during which Cox punched and stole a bag and purse worth $46. The Judge, Mr K. J. Grave, noted it was unusual to impose a community-based sentence for such a crime, especially as it was Cox's first offence. The robbery occurred in a telephone box in Cathedral Square on 13 November. Nicholas James Stickings, who was previously convicted of selling cannabis and cultivating plants, was sentenced to four months of periodic detention and ordered to pay $65 in compensation to police. In another instance, Sonny Thomas Reweti, a 27-year-old factory worker, was charged with assaulting two police officers during a gang-related disturbance in Cathedral Square on 28 November. His bail was opposed due to public safety concerns, and he was remanded in custody until 6 December. Dana Wrathall, a 21-year-old solo mother, was also charged with assaulting a police officer alongside Reweti and was granted bail of $750 until 6 December. An indecency charge was levied against 18-year-old John Robert Green, who allegedly assaulted a 23-year-old woman in a Christchurch street on a recent Wednesday night; he was remanded on bail of $1,000 until 6 December without entering a plea. David Owen Williams, aged 27 and unemployed, faced charges of forgery related to withdrawing bank funds totalling $3,630 and opted for a trial by jury. He was remanded on bail of $1,500 until 4 February for depositions regarding offences committed on 11 September. Lastly, Peter Geoffrey Whall received an added three-month sentence for escaping from Paparua Prison on 3 November. Upon capture, Whall explained to police he intended to turn himself in as he was "fed up" with evading authorities. His defence highlighted that while on the run, he had not committed any further crimes, and he alleged a nervous disorder had prompted his escape due to difficulties with other inmates.

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