ONEHUNGA BURGLARY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 142, 17 June 1926, Page 9

ONEHUNGA BURGLARY.

JEWELLERY WORTH £108 STOLEN. ONE ACCUSED ADMOS HIS GUILT. ANOTHER -MAX SENT TOR TRIAL. As a sei|lK-l to the recent, burglary at Onehunga Arthur Tilling 132j and William Charles Westwood i3O), appeared before Mr. ■!. W. Poynton, S.M., at the Police Court this morning, each charged with breaking and entering the establishment of Victor Speight and stealing jewellery valued at £103 2/. Senior Detective A. Hammond prosecuted and Mr. J. J. Sullivan appeared for Westwood. Mr. Matthews represented Tilling. The first witness called was Alice Swanson, who said she kept a lodging house in Hob?on Street. On June 7 a man Allen, who stayed in her house, brought the two accused to her house, introducing them as a couple of his shipmates. They came into her bed sitting room and Westwood had a parcel with him and asked witness whether he could "drop" it at her place. The parcel was opened. It contained jewellery (produced), and the price tags were cut off the various articles and thrown in the fire. Witness took the parcel away and gave it to Detective Nalder. When she left her room the two accused still remained. They said they had made a raid at Onebunga. She had never seen either accused before. When they wanted her to allow them to "drop" the parcel she took it that the accused meant her to sell the jewellery. "1 wasn't having any of that," said witness. Mr. Sullivan: Which aocused said that "they had made a raid at Onehunga"?—lt was Westwood. Did you not object to the men being in your bed sitting room?—No, they walked in. You have to do that in an apartment house. Tilling (to witness) : Who cut the prices off the jewellery?—l did not. Tilling: Oh yes, you did. Victor Speight stated that he was in partnership with his brother in Queen Street, Onehunga. The shop was a lock-up shop. The lock on the front door had been forced open and the jjewellery (produced) taken from the window display.

•Janet Rear, married woman, residing at Victoria Street, Onehunga. who was next called, said that Tilling had boarded with her for some time. He did not come home until about 1 a.m. on June 2. On June 4he brought Westwood to her house. Neither accused ever gave her any jewellery. After the detectives called at her house an iron bar found in the chimney was handed to Detective Xalder by witness. Constable Smyth stated that he went to the Hobson Street lodginghouse in ■company with Detective Nalder. The two accused were sitting on a couch, and, on being questioned, they explained that they had gone to the house to secure lodgings, and that they were shown into the room by an acquaintance named Allen. Both accused were taken to the police station. Westwood, in a statement given to witness, said that he was a seaman, doing casual wjjrk on the wharves. On the night of the burglary he said that he Ead played cards at the house where he resided in Vincent Street from 7.30 until 10 p.m., when he retired to bed. He denied being in Onehunga that night, and added that he had not been in that suburb for some months. He also denied breaking into the shop, while he stated that he had never seen the jewellery or the witness Alice Swaneon before. On being searched, witness found a watch (identified by Mr. Speight as his property) in Westwood's pocket. This Westwood stated he bought in a shop at Taranaki Street, Wellington. Describing himself as a cook out of employment, Leonard Allen said that he resided at Alice Swanson's lodginghouse. On June 7 he met both accused in Hobson Street, and took them into the house, where he introduced them to Swanson as two shipmates of his. Neither accused had any parcel, and witness did not see any jewellery. Witness left the two men in the room and went outside, but later the witness Swanson called him in and asked him to go" for a walk with her. They both went out, leaving the two accused in the room. Witness walked with Swanson as far as the Waitemata Hotel, where he left her and went into the hotel. He did not know whi>re she went after that. Detective Nalder deposed that the witnss Alice Swanson handed him the jewellery at 2.30 p.m. on June 7. In consequence of what she told him, witness went to her house, and there saw both accused. When arrested on the charge, Tilling said to witness: "You are putting an innocent man in prison." Westwood was picked out of a parade of nine men at the police station by Alice Swanson as the man who had handed her the jewellery. Tilling she also identified. Witness, on searching Tilling's kitbag at Mrs. Rear's house, found a watch and a chain, and also a cigarette holder. The bar found in the chimney would make such marks as were found, on Mr. Speight's door. Tilling was shown the articles in the kitbag this morning, when he said he had brought them from England. However, after consulting with his solicitor, he intimated his intention of pleading guilty. Jn a statement given to witness, Tilling denied ever being in Onehunga. He also denied seeing Alice Swanson. or seeing Westwood with any jewellery.

Tilling pleaded guilty, and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence, while West wood reserved his defence, pleaded not guilty, and was committed for trial.