TAMPERED WITH LINE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 52, Issue 205, 11 June 1932, Page 3

TAMPERED WITH LINE

SUPPLY OF ELECTRICITY. A FINE AT UPPER HUTT. (Special to the "Guardian.") WELLINGTON, June 9. Discovery of an ingenious arrangement by which electric current could be obtained after the supply had been disconnected led to Alexander Thomas Gorrie, a farmer of Whiteman's Valley, being charged at the Upper Hutt Magistrate's Court yesterday with tampering with the power lines, the property of the Hutt Valley Electric Power Board. Defendant pleaded guilty. The supply was disconnected by the removal of a phig and was reconnected by joining two power lines with a piece of wire. Senior-Sergeant H- H. Butler said that on April 6, the power board had disconnected the power supply from the house on .account of arrears. At a later date the power board's linesmen found that the supply had ~been reconnected. Gorrie had then denied the offence, which was regarded by the power board as serious. Counsel for defendant submitted that while defendant pleaded guilty his wife had made a true statement of the offence to the police. During April a young man had called at the house and mentioned that the lights were not connected. Not wishing to say that it had been cut off because of arrears she told him that the plug had probably fallen into the hedge. The young man had replied that it was easily fixed and had connected the two lines. Defendant had concurred with the offence by taking the current, but it could not be classed as theft because the power still went through the meter and the power board could charge for it. Counsel admitted that any interference with power lines might be dangerous, but in this case no damage had been caused. Defendant was in strained circumstances"- and counsel asked the magistrate to take a lenient view of the case in view of the fact that there had been no attempt to steal and no damage had resulted. "These offences in connection with electric light must be considered as serious," said the Magistrate, Mr W. H. Woodward, S.M., "although there are mitigating circumstances here. Defendant did not commit the offence himself and some knowledge of electricity seems to be indicated to construct the arrangement." A fine of £3 was imposed.