Oamaru District Court
OAMARU: An Oamaru man with a tendency to report false crimes while under the influence of alcohol has been sentenced at the Oamaru District Court.
Gregory Owen Purvis (42) had earlier pleaded guilty to using a phone for a fictitious purpose, two charges of making a false statement and a further charge of wilful damage.
About 10pm on August 3, the defendant was at a social gathering at an address on State Highway 1 south of Oamaru when he called 111 and said he had seen a man walk past armed with a firearm.
About an hour later, shortly after 11pm, Purvis made another 111 call reporting shots had been fired and noone was injured.
He hung up before giving his name to police on both occasions and was unable to be contacted again, despite numerous attempts.
Police responded to both calls and went to the address Purvis was at after the second call, but he denied making them.
At 1.38am on August 4, Purvis again called 111 and informed fire communications that a twovehicle crash was blocking the highway near his partner’s house.
All emergency services attended the scene and upon arriving, discovered there was no crash.
That followed an incident about 30 minutes earlier when Purvis got into an argument with another person at the address, during which he was asked to leave and locked out of the property.
As a result he kicked out in anger and smashed a glass panel on a sliding door, before a physical altercation broke out.
Purvis was then taken by taxi to an Oamaru address.
When spoken to by police he admitted he made the calls.
When sentencing Purvis to 12 months’ intensive supervision, Judge Joanna Maze said he had a ‘‘significant history’’ of similar offending.
Defence counsel Ngaire Alexander said her client accepted he had issues with alcohol that had led to his offending and he had taken it upon himself to stop drinking.
Guilty of burglary
A 31yearold Oamaru woman who stole from her cousin had earlier been sacked as her cleaner, the Oamaru District Court heard yesterday.
CarlaJane Cleverley was sentenced to four months community detention, nine months supervision and ordered to pay $650 reparation after she earlier pleaded guilty to a charge of burglary.
Between August 5 and 9, only days after being told by her cousin at the end of July that Cleverley’s cleaning services were not longer required at a Kakanui address, the defendant and three associates gained access to the property by smashing a glass door pane and opening the door from the inside.
She uplifted a set of Bluetoothenabled speakers and stashed them in her vehicle, before she smashed a padlock and bolt on a garage door and helped herself to fishing gear, diving equipment, wetsuits and tools before the group left the scene.
When spoken to by police Cleverley denied she took the items, valued at more than $8900, that have yet to be recovered.
‘Told’ to steal rings
When ‘‘something just told’’ an Oamaru man to steal two rings from a family member, he was unable to resist the temptation.
That urge resulted in an appearance in the Oamaru District Court yesterday for Kyle Lyndon Smith (33), who pleaded guilty to a charge of theft.
The court heard on December 27, Smith was at his brother and sisterinlaw’s address inland from Oamaru and while there, entered a bedroom while the owners were out.
After noticing two rings with a combined value of $4830 sitting on a duchess, he pocketed them.
When his brother noticed the rings were missing he challenged Smith, who admitted taking them.
Smith, who suffers an intellectual disability, told police ‘‘something just told ’’ him to carry out the theft.
He was sentenced to six months’ supervision.
Other convictions
Allan Ross Brokenshire (53), of Oamaru, drinkdriving, 561mcg, Humber St, December 15, disqualified six months, fined $450.
Jess Murray Ericson (28), of Oamaru, drinkdriving, 476mcg, Ronaldsay St, Palmerston, December 8, disqualified six months, fined $375.
Simon Lilicama (21), of Oamaru, driving while disqualified, Taward St, December 27, 65 hours community work.
Quintin Dion Marcola Tolchard (45), of Herbert, driving while suspended, London St, Hampden, December 26, disqualified six months, court costs $130.