Bracelet shoplifter foiled

A woman who tried to steal two bracelets from a Blenheim jewellery store believed she would have got away with if an off-duty policeman was not in the store, police say.

Astra Fleur Sunbeam, 34, admitted two unrelated theft charges when she appeared in Blenheim District Court yesterday and will be sentenced on April 2.

Her bail was continued by Judge Stephen Harrop.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Graham Single said Sunbeam was in Avalon Jewellers on Market St about 3pm on January 16.

She gained access to one of the locked glass cases and placed a bracelet in her handbag and tried another on.

She took the bracelet out of her bag when confronted by store management and an off-duty policeman.

Sunbeam told police she tried stealing the items "because she could" and knew how to unlock all the cases in the store. She also said she would have got away with the theft if the off-duty policeman was not in the store. The other theft related to items taken from Countdown.

DNA nabs burglar

DNA evidence from the scene of a burglary at a Marlborough Sounds bach led to the arrest of the burglar more than two years later, Judge Harrop said.

Edward Phillip Watkins, 20, yesterday admitted the 2009 burglary and was sentenced to 50 hours' community work and ordered to pay $485 reparation.

Mr Single said the bach in Kenepuru Sound was broken into between May 1, 2009 and October 7, 2009. Access to the bach was by walking a kilometre from Kenepuru Rd.

Watkins and two others broke a window to get inside and lit a freestanding fire and drank liquor and ate food inside. Among items taken were two rugs from South America, a television and some glasses.

Watkins told police he remembered drinking at the bach, but his recollection of events was vague.

Judge Harrop said the burglary was "particularly annoying" for the owners of the bach, who were in their 80s and lived in Christchurch.

They spent four days cleaning up after the burglary and the rugs were irreplaceable and had sentimental value, the judge said.

If Watkins and the other two co-accused had been sentenced at the same time a significant emotional harm payment would be ordered, Judge Harrop said.

Watkins did not have any convictions at the time of the offending where he left the DNA, so had to be dealt with as a first offender despite having since received later convictions, he said.

Shearer strikes officer

A Blenheim shearer struck a female police officer at the Blues, Brews and BBQs festival, the court was told yesterday.

Peter Bruce, 46, admitted assaulting police, disorderly behaviour and breaching a protection order when he appeared before Judge Harrop.

Bruce was fined $300 for disorderly behaviour, $250 for the assault, and ordered to pay $150 reparation and court costs.

Mr Single said police saw Bruce fighting with another man at the festival on Saturday, February 4.

He said Bruce held the victim's shirt and was extremely intoxicated.

"Bruce was told to calm down, before he struck the female constable in the back with an open hand, causing her to fall down and break her watch.

"He was arrested and refused to co-operate with police."

Bruce breached a protection order imposed on January 31, by texting the victim on Monday, February 6, Mr Single said.

Defence lawyer Matthew Marshall said the text message was sent to organise for some work equipment to be picked up and was non-threatening.

Bruce required his equipment for work purposes, he said.

Mr Marshall added Bruce drank to excess at the festival, which was out of character.

"His friends convinced him to go to the festival and he accepts the reparation costs sought."

He pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, Mr Marshall said.

Judge Harrop agreed the text message was non-threatening or abusive, but told Bruce protection orders are put out because their victims fear for their safety or any contact. Breaching the order carries consequences that you may not intend, he said.

"As for the assault, it's the sort of thing the court hears all too often after these festivals and the police have better things to do with their time. Of course, the assault on the female police officer is totally unacceptable."

Other charges:

Joshua Love, 21, a fisherman of Picton, admitted assault and was fined $350 and court costs.

Robert Aaron Sowman, 40, of Blenheim, admitted disorderly behaviour, assault and failing to answer bail and was sentenced to 70 hours' community work.

Logova Tafa Asiata, 27, a vineyard worker of Seddon, admitted theft and was fined $800 and ordered to pay court costs.

Winston Akauola, 23, a vineyard worker of Blenheim, admitted disorderly behaviour likely to cause violence and was given a six-month suspended sentence.

Venus Kawa Te Ngahue, 18, of Blenheim, admitted disorderly behaviour likely to cause violence and was sentenced to six months' supervision.

- The Marlborough Express

Last updated 13:16 14/02/2012

Furniture movers vetted before being employed

Furniture removal companies which operate around Marlborough say they screen all potential employees for criminal convictions before hiring.

The comments follow the sentencing of Blenheim man, Samuel Wiremu John Edmonds, 28, who broke into a woman's home and sexually assaulted her on November 13.

During his sentencing in the Blenheim District Court on Friday it was revealed he was an employee of a furniture removal company who helped the woman move in several months earlier.

He was sentenced to seven months in prison after admitting two charges of sexual violation and one charge of burglary.

On Friday Judge John Walker suppressed the name of the company Edmonds worked for at the time of the offending.

However, the company's co-owner told the Express it contracted another company in Marlborough to help shift furniture for the woman.

"In that case when we take staff on from other companies to unload for a few hours there's no vetting done, but we presume it would have been done by that company," he said.

Employees of the company sign a form which says a police check will be done on them before they are hired. However, there were still cases where companies had issues with employees even though they had been screened, he said.

The Edmonds case was the first of its kind he had heard of in 40 years in the furniture moving business, he said.

The company owner who employed Edmonds on a casual basis said he had every employee screened.

"[But] you can never judge a character by what you see and what you read ... that's a lesson. ... if it said [the employee] was a rapist I wouldn't hire him; if they're a petty thief or have some misdemeanour you've got to use your common sense and say, `let's hope he's learned'.

"[Edmonds] went there as an opportunist and that's what he is."

Another removal company said it ran a police check on every potential employee. Workers would not be considered for a job if they had any convictions regardless of what they were.

The company had a memorandum of understanding with a labour force supplier that workers had been police-checked, he said.

- The Marlborough Express SIMON WONG

Last updated 10:37 13/02/2012

School's 'murder house' reopens

It used to be called the murder house, but the old Whitney St School dental clinic in Blenheim has taken on a life less morbid.

The building has been reincarnated as a base for Marlborough literacy resource teacher and was officially opened on Friday afternoon.

Principal Alan Straker said the building was called the murder house by pupils because of the drills, pain and fear associated with visiting the dentist.

The school dental clinic closed about June last year after the centralised school dental clinic opened near Marlborough Girls' College in April.

Work on converting the building began just before Christmas and is unrecognisable as a former dental clinic.

Resource teacher of literacy Helen Wilkie will use the room as a base for reading material and other resources.

She travels to other schools in Marlborough on a needs basis to work with pupils who have fallen behind in their reading skills.

She works for Whitney St School, and also trains teachers and teacher aides.

As a former pupil of the school and later a teacher she remembers the building had come from Marlborough Boys' College and pupils still referred to it by its macabre moniker.

The room was far removed from the "dark corner" she used to work from in one of the classrooms, she said.

"There's a lot of natural light," she said.

"It's nice to have an area I can come to and where I can bring in other staff."

- The Marlborough Express

SIMON WONG

Last updated 07:27 13/02/2012

Roaming horse stops cricket match

A roaming horse disrupted play between Celtic and Wairau Valley in a second grade Twenty20 cricket match yesterday at Horton Park, Blenheim.

Resident Suzie Harris, who lives near the park, phoned police about the horse roaming free about 5.30pm.

She was concerned the horse would bolt onto Redwood St and cause an accident, she said.

Sergeant Bill Talbot, of Blenheim, confirmed police had taken Blenheim man Richard Hayden to the police station for detoxification. The horse reportedly belongs to Hayden.

Animal control were dealing with the horse, Mr Talbot said.

Police had received about a dozen phone calls about the roaming horse.

An onlooker told The Marlborough Express the horse was chasing a small white, brown spotted dog across the field.

Play was stopped for about five minutes, until police could stop the shirtless Hayden and his horse.

A woman who was on her way to feed her own horses, managed to bring the horse to a standstill, luring it with a bucket of feed and a bag of hay.

Police and animal control rangers were able to secure the horse and play resumed.

It is unlikely charges will be laid at this stage, Mr Talbot said.

- The Marlborough Express SAM MORTON AND SIMON WONG

Last updated 11:30 10/02/2012

1 of 8

A cricket game between Celtic and Wairau was disrupted as a horse ran through the no1 pitch.

Sex assailant sentenced

Last updated 09:28 10/02/2012

LATEST: The Blenheim man who broke into a woman's house and sexually violated her has been sent to jail for seven years.

Samuel Wiremu John Edmonds, 28, was this morning sentenced in the Blenheim District Court by Judge John Walker.

Edmonds had previously admitted two charges of sexual violation and one charge of burglary. He was sentenced to concurrently serve seven years for one of the sexual violation charges, four years on the other and four years for burglary.

Edmonds broke into an Eltham Rd house early on November 13 and sexually assaulted a middle-aged woman in her home.

He was arrested on November 20 following a police investigation and was held in custody until his sentencing.

- The Marlborough Express

Man steals hat from police car

A 29-year-old male factory worker was arrested yesterday afternoon after he was found with 35 cannabis seedlings in the Waihopai Valley, police say.

Constable Michelle Staag, of Blenheim, said the man was arrested for cultivating cannabis. He was due to appear before the Marlborough District Court today.

A 30-year-old unemployed male opened all four doors of an un-attended police patrol car in Blenheim and removed a police cap from within while police were dealing with his associate at 2.10 today, Miss Staag said.

The man was arrested for unlawfully interfering with a motor vehicle at 2.10am, minutes before police arrested his associate, a 42-year-old male contractor who was charged with disorderly behaviour after an incident on Hutcheson Street, Blenheim.

A 31-year-old unemployed Picton woman who allegedly burgled a neighbour's address was arrested at 9.35pm yesterday for burglary and cultivating cannabis.

A 54-year-old unemployed woman was arrested at 7.05pm after hitting her 69-year-old partner over the head with a spade at a Kaikoura address, Miss Staag said. Police arrested her for assault with intent to injure. She is due to appear before the Blenheim District Court today.

A 15-year-old male labourer was arrested for assault and wilful damage, namely four incidents of tagging at 4.50pm. He will appear before the Blenheim Youth Court on February 15.

- The Marlborough Express

Last updated 11:46 10/02/2012

Language a life experience

Making foreign languages relevant to students is one of the best ways to encourage learning a language, according to the new head of languages at Marlborough Girls' College, in Blenheim.

Hilary Hunt started in the role this year and said languages do not exist on their own, but in the context of ordinary life.

"I'm trying to make it an everyday experience. If I find a French restaurant with French-speaking staff, I'll set up conversation assessments where students order food in French."

Inviting guests to classes, food and immersing students in the language were also ways to bring the languages alive for students.

Year 9 French students were learning basic instructions and if they needed to go to the toilet, they had to ask in French, she said.

Formerly the head teacher of French at Mt Maunganui College, Mrs Hunt also spent three years teaching at Paris-Sorbonne University and a year at a kindergarten and cram school in Taiwan.

As the head of languages, she oversees the French, Spanish and te reo language staff at the college.

At Paris-Sorbonne, Mrs Hunt taught English for a range of degree subjects that all required students to learn another language.

Being in a classroom seems to run in her blood as a fourth generation teacher, albeit reluctantly.

"My mum was a head of department of languages and taught French." Each generation said they would not get into teaching, but always found their way there, she said.

"I was planning to be a lawyer."

Mrs Hunt studied for her masters in French politics at Auckland University, has a certificate in Arabic studies and also a graduate diploma in teaching and a diploma of law from Waikato University.

- The Marlborough Express

SIMON WONG

Last updated 16:00 10/02/2012

New role: Marlborough Girls' College's new head of languages Hilary Hunt