Dunedin District Court
A man who breached a 20yearold court order by being in possession of an air gun was convicted and given a threemonth deferred sentence when he appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday.
Judge Kevin Phillips also ordered the destruction of the air gun.
Peter Francis David Murphy (63), retired, of Green Island, was charged with failing to comply with the conditions of an order, on March 14.
Prosecutor Senior Constable John Somerfield said Murphy was at his home, about 10.30pm, and called police to report he had brandished an air rifle at a male after an altercation.
Murphy was cooperative with attending police and surrendered a Hatman .80 air rifle.
Police inquiries showed a final protection order, with Murphy the respondent, was issued in the Dunedin District Court on August 15, 1997.
Being in possession of an air gun is a breach of the standard conditions of a protection order.
In explanation, Murphy said he thought the protection order conditions relating to weapons applied only to firearms for which a licence was required.
Public defender Meg Scally said the other male was charged with intimidation. Murphy felt aggrieved that he, the victim, was now facing a charge.
Murphy’s breach of the order was technical. And his guilty plea to the charge was at a very early opportunity, Ms Scally said.
Other convictions
A Joseph Andrei Jackson (19), student, of Dunedin, drinkdriving (stopped at a checkpoint, produced a US driver’s licence, claimed not to have consumed alcohol, after positive reading admitted drinking two stubbies and was shocked at such a high reading; duty lawyer Steve Turner said Jackson had been drinking while cooking), 581mcg, 8.20pm, October 30, Ravensbourne Rd, fined $580, court costs $130, six months’ disqualification.
A Slane Jet Hadley (20), unemployed, of Dunedin, driving while disqualified (stopped by police while driving a friend’s Mitsubishi, members of the public had complained about his driving, Hadley said he was sober driving; counsel Rhona Daysh said her client was trying to act ‘‘responsibly’’ but acknowledged he would never be given a driver’s licence because of problems with his vision), 10.50pm, October 7, George St, 50 hours’ community work, six months’ disqualification (to begin on February 27).