POLICE COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 180, 1 August 1925, Page 9

POLICE COURT.

1 i Before Mr. I\ K. Hunt, S.M.) : DAMAGE TO CELL TIN. Hugh Campbell, who was found drunk in Grey >Streot yesterday, was fined 5/, or 24 hours, and for wilfully damaging a cell tin. valued at 30/. he .was ordered to pay for a new receptacle, or go to gaol for three days. ATTEMPTED THEFT. A charge of attempted theft' of a motor'rim and tyre, valued at £2,-the property of a person unknown, was preferred .against Robert Henry Johnston (30), who pleaded not guilty. It' A. Dexter, manager of. Dexter Motors, Albert Street, deposed that accused called into his garage yesterday afternoon, and wanted witness to buy the rim and tyre. Accused was anxious tti know what it was. .worth, and stated that it came off his brother's •motor car. Constable Uiutou gave evidence as to seeing Johnston and another man'examining the tyre and rim in Hobson Street. As accused could not give a satisfactory explanation, he was arrested. Johnston gave evidence, and slated' that he saw the. rim fall off a motor car in Yieloria Street on Monday night. He whistled the driver of the ear, hut he evidently did not hear him, for he drove on. Accused then reported to a sergeant and a constable that he had found the spare rim. Senior .Sergeant, Edwards said that accused certainly reported to a constable that be had found ihe rim, but he afterwards tried to dispose of it. Observing that accused had 22 previous convictions, but none for dishonesty, Mr. Hunt imposed'a fine of £5. or fourteen days, on Johnston, allowing him until next Tuesday to find the amount of the line. BACK TO WERAROA. A youth of-17. Eric Reed yon Stunner, did not plead either way when charged with, being an inmate of tlie Wei'ttroa industrial institution, he did abscond from the service of P. 0. Wall at Hastings. >■ Senior Sergeant Edwards staled tlitvt accused had absconded from Mr. Wall's farm-in March last, and since then had been working on bouts. He was arrested last night. Tlie assistant juvenile probation olliI cer (Mr. Oibb) suggested that accused j should be returned to ,\\'eraroa. it was j not the first time he had absconded. Mr. Hum thereupon made an order for the return of yon Stunner to Weraroa. ANOTHER DISHONEST EMPLOYEE. , Arthur Dephoff, alias . Dophoss, a middle-aged man, pleaded guilty when charged with stealing two jerseys from liari Bros.. Chief Detective ( ummings said that accused had been employed by Hart Uro<s. at a salary of to' per week. He stole the jerseys while at work and gave them to a woman who went outside. She then, gave them to accused when he finished work. He was a married man with live children. Dephoff had been before the' Court during July, 1924, on a similar charge at Rendell's. The chief detective added that the same woman was involved in that case also. .She used to ask accused io give her articles much below their value, and on one occasion lie gave her an article priced at 59/0 for 35/. Mr. (.ummings said that he was sure there was nothing immoral between accused and this woman. Accused blamed her for his trouble. Mr.. Hunt: Why don't, you bring her up on a charge of receiving, Mr. ( ummings? Tlie ( hief Detective: We are considering that now. sir. ]n connection with these cases I find 'that there are quite a number of salesmen stealing from their employers. Only yesterday a man got three months for the same thing, and if this man was single I. would ask you to give him three months. Mr. Hunt: Yes, these men are geflhi" good wages, and they keep a good". honest man out of work. On the suggestion of Chief Detective Cumings. the magistrate adjourned) Dephoff's case for a week. "A week up above won't do him any harm." added Mr. Hunt.