Latest news with #GoreDistrictCourt
Otago Daily Times
01-08-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Pensioner must pay for purloined petrol
A transient 78-year-old convicted fraudster has been given a good behaviour bond for petrol drive-offs across Canterbury and Central Otago. Ewen James McLeod, 78, was before the Gore District Court this week for four times filling up his Ford Transit Vvn with diesel before driving away. Judge James Johnston said the man had a history of obtaining by deception. "He pops up quite regularly," Judge Johnston said. The court heard on February 20 he drove into the Challenge station in Winchester and filled his van up with $70 worth of diesel. When his card declined, he told the manager he would come back and pay tomorrow and filled out a "unable to pay" document. The police summary said he never returned. A month later, he left BP Cromwell without paying for $75.18 of diesel, and then again four days later from a Caltex station in Timaru. Then, two days after, at a Mobil in Rakaia, he again left without paying for $41.24 of fuel. In regards to the Cromwell incident, the man told police he just drove off absent-mindedly without paying. He declined to comment on the three other incidences. Defence counsel Jono Ross said his client lived a transient lifestyle driving around the South in a mobile home. He said McLeod suffered from mental health issues and was not medicated at the time of the thefts. These difficulties left the defendant absent-minded when it came time to pay, Mr Ross said. Judge Johnston said he would take on board the man's explanation, but there was no medical evidence to support that excuse. The judge deferred the sentence for six months and ordered him to pay for the stolen petrol. "If he carries on in this way, then it'll all just come back," the judge said. Over 20 years ago, McLeod was the head of failed Christchurch alcohol recovery centre The Deanery when it collapsed in 2003. At the time, it was reported the collapse left creditors with debts of $300,000. He was convicted in Christchurch of wrongly cashing an $8000 check to his personal account in 2006 and breaching bankruptcy regulations in 2007.
Otago Daily Times
01-08-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Drink-driver accused of drinking prior to sentencing
A Southland man who drove his family home while twice over the legal limit was accused of having alcohol on his breath during sentencing, a court has heard. Norman Fredrick Broughton, 50, was in Gore District Court this week for a drink-driving charge when police prosecutor Sergeant Penny Stratford said she thought he had been drinking. "Some alcohol intake today," she said. The prosecutor explained she had asked around the court and no-one had recently used any hand sanitiser. Broughton denied the allegation. He had pleaded guilty to drink-driving, however, after the Balfour Rugby Club 125th jubilee celebrations on June 21 in rural Northern Southland. The court heard that about 8.10pm he was pulled over on the Lumsden Riversdale Highway with his wife and two young sons in the car. He gave a breath-alcohol reading of 1075mcg, which was more than twice the legal limit and told police "you caught me", the summary said. In court, Judge James Johnston said in relation to the offending: "something's gone terribly wrong here". In explanation the defendant said it was just a "poor choice" on the night to drive the seven minutes to his home in a neighbouring town. He told the judge he had not been drinking before court and his wife was present to drive him home. The judge said the man had provided two character references, one from the club and one from a farming business. The rugby club celebrated its 125-year milestone that Saturday in June with games of all ages at the Balfour Showgrounds before moving to Balfour Hall in the evening. Former All-Black Ken Stewart spoke at the hall and Sir Wayne "Buck" Shelford gave out prizes. The Otago Daily Times understands there was a courtesy coach available at the hall. Broughton was fined $1000 and disqualified for a mandatory 28 days before he could apply for an alcohol-interlock licence.
Otago Daily Times
15-07-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Meth ‘contributing factor' in theft
A man who siphoned over $6900 worth of petrol from a Gore self-service station did so because he was using methamphetamine and had lost his job at the meat works, a court has heard. Ricky John Byron, 37, of Gore, was before the Gore District Court last week on two charges of burglary for taking the petrol on nine occasions between January 19 and February 21. The man was also charged with having weapons in his car, breaching the Search and Surveillance Act and possessing goods capable of being used to commit a crime. Defence counsel Scott Williamson said his client was "obviously" using methamphetamine, and had lost his job at Waitane Meat Works before carrying out those crimes. The police summary said Byron approached the unmanned station in January. He covered a CCTV camera with a towel before climbing a 91 octane petrol fuel tank, the summary said. Unscrewing a vent, he inserted a hose into the tank and used a pump powered by a car battery to siphon fuel, before leaving the site about 3.45am. He then repeatedly revisited the station to steal petrol early in the morning, stealing an amount worth a total of $6932.71. On the last time police found him in his car at 3.11am and arrested him. A search of his car by police revealed a knife in a leather sheath in the front passenger seat and a black baseball bat in the rear left passenger footwell. The meat works had agreed to rehire the man when it reopened at the end of the month, though he would be stripped of his seniority, Mr Williamson said. Judge Mark Williams acknowledged Byron had lost his job and was struggling to make ends meet. The judge said the defendant had accepted it was a stupid thing to do, though driven by financial needs, and expressed remorse. "It comes as no surprise that methamphetamine was a contributing factor," Judge Williams said. He said it was better the man work than go to prison. Byron was sentenced to two months' community detention with a curfew of 7pm-6am and nine months' supervision — "just to keep an eye on things", the judge said.
RNZ News
03-07-2025
- RNZ News
Man charged with manslaughter over death of Jack Stephens in ute crash
Police were called to the ute rollover in Southland on the night of 15 February. Photo: Calvin Samuel A 20-year-old man has been charged with manslaughter over a single-vehicle crash in Southland earlier this year. Jack Victor Hugh Stephens of Tahakopa died in the crash on Niagara-Tokanui Highway on 15 February. Police said they were alerted to the crash where a ute rolled between McManus Rd and Quarry Hills Fortification Rd at 8.35pm that day. Despite the efforts of emergency services Stephens, 20, died at the scene. Two other occupants suffered serious to critical injuries. At the time, the Serious Crash Unit conduced a scene examination and police established an investigation. "Today, police charged a 20-year-old man in relation to the incident," a spokesperson said. The young man was due to appear in Gore District Court on 30 July charged with manslaughter. Police said they were unable to comment further with the matter now before the courts. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Otago Daily Times
10-06-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Clinton man growing more than veges
A South Otago organic farmer had cannabis growing on his rural property and a safe full of guns under his bed, a court has heard. Wairuna Organics owner Shaun James McVicker, 61, was before the Gore District Court last Wednesday for possessing the guns and ammunition without a licence, and growing and possessing cannabis on his 10-acre (0.4ha) Clinton farm. The police summary said a police search warrant was executed on the semi-rural property on March 4, discovering a Winchester shotgun, a .22 calibre Norinco bolt-action rifle, a .303 Lee Enfield bolt-action rifle, a .22 cali bolt-action rifle and ammunition locked in a safe in his bedroom. The ammunition in the safe consisted of 342 .22 calibre live rounds, 72 live shotgun rounds and 20 .303 calibre live rounds. McVicker said he used the firearms to protect his certified organic produce, the summary said. Also found were five mature cannabis plants growing in soil and a glass jar containing 43.32gm of cannabis head. In court, Judge Duncan Harvey said he was unsure at first which crops the defendant said he was protecting — his vegetables or his cannabis. "After I found out a bit more about you, I now understand what you meant by that," the judge said. "You are an organic farmer, you've been growing vegetables for many, many years, and I accept that that is what you were referring to." Judge Harvey said the man's response was essentially "so what" to the cannabis. The judge also said the case was unusual as the firearms were locked in a safe, as opposed to being left strewn about the place. "He behaves as if he has a firearms licence, but unfortunately he has not." Defence counsel John Fraser said his client led a relatively reclusive life on his organic farm. McVicker said he no longer held firearms and now had other community members come to shoot the rabbits on his property. The court heard the man had health issues and was self-medicating with the cannabis, but had since got a legal prescription for the drug. "I am satisfied that your use of cannabis has been solely for your own purposes," the judge said. "There is no suggestion that you have been selling that cannabis or supplying that cannabis to anybody else." It was "quite clear" the vegetable-grower had a history of cannabis use due to his prior convictions, the judge said, but he had no previous firearms convictions. The man had letters from the the community speaking highly of his character, the judge said. "It is clear that you have done an enormous amount of good in your community, and I suspect you continue to do so," Judge Harvey said. For the possession of firearms, ammunition, cultivating and possessing the cannabis, the judge sentenced McVicker to 150 hours' community service. The judge said that so Corrections could "keep an eye on his health", the defendant was sentenced to 12 months' supervision.
