Te Kūiti District Court
Failed to appear BENCH warrants were issued for two women who failed to show in Te Kūiti District court last week. Judge Jonathan Down issued warrants for the arrest of Melissa Jane Houghton and Kelly Tyler Maora Clark. Houghton was due to appear on charges of unlawfully getting into a motor vehicle and intentional damage. Clark was due to appear on her third or subsequent drink driving charge. Houghton’s lawyer Gaye Gray said Houghton contacted her a week earlier saying she had been assaulted, but had no contact since.
“Ridiculous situation’ A LAWYER speaking to the judge by phone for a client she had never met was making little headway until the accused assented to the process. Judge Down said the whole situation was ridiculous. Ivan Strickland appeared for sentence on charges of threatening behaviour, wilful damage, and contravening a protection order The charges followed an incident at his long term partner’s Auckland home in August 2021. They argued, he wanted to leave but the vehicle was blocked in and Strickland smashed the windscreen with a hammer and shook it at the complainant, prosecutor Baden Hilton said. There was an earlier incident in 2015. Strickland said he paid for the damage, and that it was his vehicle. On the intentional damage charge Strickland was convicted and discharged. The judge sentence him to 80 hours of community work on the breach of a protection order, and 40 hours for the intimidation, with the hours a cumulative total of 120.
Remanded on bail THREE Marokopa residents appearing on a charge of assault with intent to injure have pleaded not guilty and were remanded on continued bail. Neville John McKeich, Tahi Conan Warena and Sandi Lane Boreham will next appear on November 2 for a case review. Counsel for McKeich and Warena, Gaye Gray said there had been a cooling off period since the incident, and succeeded in having bail conditions adjusted so the defendants could return to the address. They would be living 50 metres from the complainant. The bail address was similarly adjusted for Boreham who appeared later in the list.
No to contact BRONWYN Rutter, the Te Kūiti woman accused of taking $1,593,000 from a vulnerable family member, failed in a bid to have her bail conditions varied. Counsel Lisa Awatere said Rutter, who did not appear, wanted to be able to contact a family member. This was denied by the judge who said the variation could be re-applied for at a later date, after ongoing Family Court matters were settled.
Court change JUDGE Down agreed to Johnathan Blair facing his driving charges in the Palmerston North District court, so long as he pleaded guilty. Otherwise a defended hearing would be held at Te Kūiti. Blair is charged with failing to remain stopped, failing to stop for red and blue flashing lights, and reckless driving. Instead of appearing in Te Kūiti District court this week Blair left a message on the Justice Department hotline saying he was living in Fielding and had no transport. He said he intended to plead guilty to the Te Kūiti driving charges. Prosecutor Baden Hilton said Blair also faced matters in Palmerston North, Hawera and Tokoroa. He was pleading not guilty to the Hawera matter. On the basis of the intimated guilty pleas, judge Down remanded Blair to Palmerston North District Court on October 25. But if he entered not guilty pleas, Blair would be returned to Te Kūiti.
Deaf to doorknock JOHN Thomas Ahcheung didn’t hear police knocking to check he was home on bail because he was deaf, and there were no lights on because the house lacked power, he said through counsel Kim Johnson. He would sleep closer to the door in the meantime, she said. Ahcheung pleaded guilty to a burglary charge. Judge Down remanded Ahcheung until November 2 for a pre-sentence report.
Too much JUDGE Down said he was troubled by the amount of cannabis possessed by Travers Paul Macalister who pleaded guilty to possessing 307 grams, and to possessing a firearm without a licence. The firearm had been owned by Macalister’s late father and Travers was living in his former home. Neither Macalister nor any other family members had a firearms licence. The judge sentenced Macalister to 40 hours community work on each charge, the terms to be cumulative at 80 hours. He made an order for the destruction of the firearm.
Remorse for driving offence DANIEL Sam Harawera Gray bought a ute with no rego or warrant, which crossed the centre line when he was driving it on February 10 this year, and collided head on with another vehicle. He pleaded guilty earlier to a charge of aggravated careless driving causing injury. The driver of the other vehicle suffered a broken collar bone in the collision which required surgery, and resulted in considerable time off work. Reparation of $4500 was sought for her uninsured vehicle. Counsel Andrea Jones said Gray was extremely remorseful. A sentence of community detention was sought so Gray could keep his job and pay the reparation. Judge Down said the hours from 9pm until 5am: “were not very punitive.” It was because he worked shifts which may change, Andrea Jones said. Gray was sentenced to four months community detention at a Benneydale address where he was to stay from 9pm until 5am seven days a week. He was disqualified from driving for a year and a day from midnight on the day of his court appearance, and ordered to pay $4,500 reparation at $160 a fortnight.
