September 06, 2010

Court appearances on 'looting' allegations

Custody remand and curfews imposed

People charged with burglaries ? effectively looting ? in the aftermath of Christchurch?s devastating earthquake would be regarded by the courts ?as people who are capable of anything?, said Judge Michael Crosbie in the Christchurch District Court today.

He dealt with a series of remands for people arrested on Saturday and Sunday on charges of burglary, who police suggested had taken advantage of a situation where buildings were broken or abandoned.

?The court will be taking a close look at people who offended during this disaster,? Judge Crosbie told a 21-year-old. They would present to the courts as being people who were capable of anything.

He slapped remands in custody or strict curfews on people charged in cases where the police alleged the offending was related to the earthquake.

Jack Duckmanton, an unemployed 20-year-old, was held in custody when the police opposed bail.

Police alleged he had broken into a house that had been damaged and left abandoned in Avonside Drive on Saturday. They said he had searched the house and taken various items, but was found by police after he fled.

?This is a matter where I would not want to place the community at risk,? said Judge Crosbie as he refused bail. ?The community is still in a fragile state. It is still experiencing the effects of this devastating earthquake.

?Fortunately, the dominant mood of the town is one of help, assistance and support.?

Unfortunately, there were those who would seek to take advantage of the situation and he would not want to put the community at risk from them.

Duckmanton, of Woolston, was remanded in custody to September 13.

His alleged co-offender, 19-year-old mechanic Shannon William Johnson of Islington, was remanded by a registrar to appear on September 20. Police did not oppose bail in his case.

Judge Crosbie asked the police to confirm that two others, Daniel Ezekiel Peneha, 28, unemployed, of St Albans, and Deon Mathew Rich, an unemployed 17-year-old from Somerfield, had allegedly sought to take advantage of the situation after the earthquake.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Paul Brocas confirmed that and Judge Crosbie told them that if the police had opposed bail they would have been staying in custody.

Peneha is charged with the Sunday burglary of a house in Edgeware Road, and Rich is charged with breaking into a cafe on Wrights Road on Sunday. They have entered no pleas. Peneha must abide by a 24-hour-a-day curfew and Rich has a 7pm to 7am curfew during their remands.

Kimiona Ngatamariki, a 21-year-old chef, was alleged by Mr Brocas to have committed an ?opportunistic? burglary of a hairdressing shop in Barbadoes Street on Sunday. He has entered no plea and has been remanded on bail with a 7pm to 7am curfew. The central city restaurant where he works is closed at present and if it reopens he will have to get his bail conditions changed.

Some others faced weekend burglary allegations, but it was not clear whether they were related to buildings that were damaged or abandoned in the earthquake.