CONVERSION ALLEGED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 143, 3 April 1950, Page 2

CONVERSION ALLEGED

TWO ARIIES'tS AT ASHBURTON GOOD WORK BY CONSTABLE Arrested by Constable George Hillyer at 11.55 last night, two young men appeared in the Magistrate’s Court at Ashburton this * morning, on a charge of car conversion, and were remanded in custody to appear at Christchurch to-morrow morning. Accused were: John Ernest Edward Southerwood, aged 24, labourer, of Christchurch; and Robert George Winslade, aged 22, electroplater, of Timaru. They are charged that, on March 31, at Cashmere, Christchurch, they converted to their own use, but not so as to be guilty of theft, a car valued at £4OO, the property of William Havilah Down. Constable R. M. Walden appeared for the police, and simply asked that’accused be remanded to Christchurch, this request being granted by Mr W. H. Sarney, J.P., who was on the Bench.

Neither accused had anything to say, and the matter of bail was not raised. It is understood that the car was stopped in East Street when it was noticed by Constable Hillyer. His attention, it is stated, was attracted to it because'the lights were being flicked on and off. He spoke to the occupants and eventually took them round to the police station. Inquiries from Christchurch disclosed that a car answering to that description, was missing, but that the number was different. A search later, it is understood, resulted in number plates, corresponding to those on the missing car, being found in the back of the car occupied by the two accused. The apprehension of the accused by Constable Hillyer was a good piece of work, because at the time the police had no advice that any car was missing.