A man alleged to have performed an indecent act on a 13-year-old boy has been given leave to attend church.

The Mid Canterbury man, who has interim name suppression, appeared before Judge Campbell Savage in the Ashburton District Court this week on a charge of performing an indecent act on the 13-year-old.

If found guilty, he faces a maximum sentence of seven years in jail.

Duty lawyer Tiffany McRae asked the judge to vary bail conditions that precluded him from attending church.

Judge Savage remanded the man without plea and amended his bail conditions to allow him to attend church. He will appear again on July 3.

** ‘Waste of money’

A Fairton man who told a judge that the case before him was a waste of taxpayers' money was given a suspended sentence.

Jason Edward Williams, 53, had earlier denied breaching a 40-hour community work sentence but changed his plea to guilty on Monday.

He told Judge Savage that ‘all he did’ was raise his voice to his ex while under a protection order.
That earned him 40 hours' community work.

Williams said the case was "a waste of taxpayers money".

He also told the judge he'd been out of trouble for 20 years, and had spent a total of six days in jail as a result of the recent incident.

"We don't always encourage people to chip in from the dock," Judge Savage said.

However, he was impressed with Williams' courteous manner and took the opportunity to "exit" Williams from the justice system.

"He had an entrenched criminal lifestyle and stayed out of trouble for 20 years. He's entitled to pull that card today," Judge Savage said.

Williams was convicted and given a suspended sentence.
Judge Savage cancelled his outstanding community work.

** Animal cruelty

A man who failed to follow the correct procedure before severing a crayfish tail in a Christchurch restaurant was discharged without conviction.

Jun Yin Wen, 45, pleaded guilty to not rendering a crayfish insensible before it was killed on February 1 last year.

He faced a maximum fine of $5000.

Judge Savage said the incident was "low-level offending" and Wen believed he was "dealing with the crayfish in customary practice".

He discharged Wen without conviction.

**Fine for cannabis cultivation

A “heavy user” of cannabis who tried to grow his own supply to manage chronic pain has been fined.

Hinds man, Craig Lesloe Brown, 46, admitted charges of possessing cannabis and cultivating cannabis in November last year.

Brown's lawyer said Brown was a "heavy user" of cannabis and tried to grow his own supply to manage chronic pain.

Brown now had cannabis medically prescribed and realised trying to grow his own cannabis "was stupid".

He was fined $1000.

**Interim name suppression

A Mid Canterbury man was granted interim name suppression on three charges of sexual violation.

The 22-year-old was remanded without plea and will appear again on July 3.

If found guilty he faces a maximum sentence of a 20-year jail term.

** Intentional damage

Kane William Roulston, 32, admitted charges of intimidation and intentional damage dating back to an incident on December 27, 2020.

Roulston broke into a home with the intention of intimidating the occupants and damaged two Mazda vehicles on the property.

He will appear in court again on August 11 for sentencing.

** Fined for silence

A man who believed he could exercise a right to silence was fined $500 for not complying with police.

Jacob Wiremu Grant Henare, 33, pleaded guilty to not complying with an examination order.

His duty lawyer said he erroneously believed he could “exercise a right of silence”.

He was fined $500 plus court costs.

**Fine and suspended sentence

A spate of offending by a Rakaia man has been described as a “small hiccup”.

Ross Dylan Hunt, 36, was stopped twice by police and found to be driving while forbidden on January 14 and on February 11. In January he also gave a false name to police.

He admitted the charges along with two charges of stealing fuel in September last year with a total value of $84.99.

Hunt was fined $500 on the driving charges, ordered to pay reparation for the fuel, and given a suspended sentence.

Judge Savage said Hunt had stayed out of trouble since 2020 and the spate of offending was a "small hiccup".

**Careless driving admitted

Hampstead man Anthony Clay Bernard Julian, 27, admitted a charge of careless driving causing injury on September 4, 2022.

A woman was injured in the incident on the corner of Milton and Wakanui Roads.

Judge Savage said a moment of inattention behind the wheel had significant consequences.

He disqualified Julian from driving for six months and ordered him to pay reparation of $903, which had already been handed over to the restorative justice representative.

** Breach of protection order denied

A Hampstead woman has denied contravening a protection order.

Kellee Lisa McBride, 47, pleaded not guilty to contacting a protected person on April 24.

She will appear in court again on July 24.

**Intentional damage

Contravening a protection order and punching an oven landed a Hampstead man with a supervision sentence.

James Phillip Kenny, 30, admitted charges of contravening a protection order and intentional damage.

Lawyer Linda Drummond said Kenny had punched an oven twice and had since arranged to have the damage paid for.

Judge Savage convicted Kenny and sentenced him to nine months’ supervision.

**Breach of community work

Harley Ronald Dawson, 35, pleaded guilty to breaching a community work sentence imposed in January last year.

Judge Savage convicted Dawson and cancelled his community work sentence. He will appear again for sentencing on August 7.

**Plea changed

An Allenton man who had earlier denied driving while disqualified changed his plea.

Brooke Lee Thomas, 30, admitted driving while disqualified on Alford Forest Road on March 2.

He will appear for sentencing on August 21.

***Warrants issued

Judge Campbell Savage issued several warrants for arrest for people who failed to appear in the Ashburton District Court on Monday.

Netherby man Avei Tusi Fou, 34, failed to appear for sentencing on a charge of not supplying a blood sample for alcohol testing.

Jonson Howell, 27, failed to appear on several charges including assault, possessing a weapon identified as scissors and driving a vehicle he did not have permission to drive also while forbidden to drive.

Nardine Meynell, 35, did not appear on two charges of fuel theft, one in Christchurch and one in Timaru.

Hanamata Tahuri, 19, failed to appear on a charge of taking a car for his own use.

Christchurch woman Tia Carla Mayla Winitana, 43, was not in court on a charge of taking a vehicle for her own use and breaching her bail conditions.

Samuel John Clark, 38, failed to appear on a charge of breaching a community work sentence.

The court was told that Clark had returned to Australia. A warrant for arrest was issued and would be executed in the event Clark returned to New Zealand.