RAZOR-ARMED THIEF.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 25, 31 January 1928, Page 10

RAZOR-ARMED THIEF.

HAD RECORD IN NEW ZEALAND APPEARS IX SYDNEY COURT. OX MOST SERIOUS CHARGE. (From Our Own Correspondent.) SYDXEY, January 27. Wrong type of publicity for New Zealand was provided at Balmain Co-urt, Sydney, this week, when Leslie Stuart

Sergent, 28, labourer, was committed for trial on a charge that, while armed with a razor at Balmain on January 4, lie robbed William Rupert Snow, retired jeweller, of 5/ and a metal cigarette case.

The charge was the outcome of a recent sensatiqnal episode in which the driver of a yellow cab, threatened by three men armed with razors, was robbed of 25/' Near Bowral and left bound in his own cab. The three men were subsequent!} arrested at Gundagai. The Balmain charge related to an incident which occurred before they hired the yellow cab. and it was stated in Court that Sergent had many convictions in New Zealand on charges o-f shop-breaking and larcem*

Detective Sergeant Bowie gave evi-j dence to tlie effect tliat at Gundagai lock-; up on January (i. be obtained a signed j statement from Sergent. In this Ser- ; gent stated that his correct name was Frederick Stuart Parkes and that be had but recently been released from prison after serving three years. He had met Snow at a Sydney picture theatre on December 20, and bad visited the latters home, where he had beei« given sums of 2/ and 6/ on separate occasions.

''On January 3" tlie statement went , on, "when with my brother, John Ser-1 gent, and a man named James Spencer, j at Erskineville, I said to them, 'I know j a sweet place over at Balmain where we j lean hold up a man. I have an appointi night.' Spencer said, 'How are we going to hold him up?' and I said 'Mv brother J ment to meet him at his house to-morrow ican come with me fo> the front door, and you can stand at the side fence near the flat window. WTien I bail him up Jack and I will take him into the house and when you hear us in the house you get through the window and get behind him, press your finger into his back and kid it is a revolver. We ought to get about £50 from him as he always has a good roll :t»n him.'"

He related how tljey went to the place at Balmain, where he introduced his brother and asked that he be given a drink. "Snow led the way into the house and had a drink poured out when I placed my hand in my coat pocket and preyed it against his back, sayimr, 'Put up your hands or I will blow a liol.! through you.' My brother produced .1' I razor and said to -the man,TU cut voui

i — throat if you talk.' Then I said to I Snow.. "You know who we are. Lcok

behind you.' "He turned round and Spencer was, | standing there with his hand in his coat pocket, thrust toward him. The man said, 'What do you want J' and I said,, "We will get all we want.' He said, 'If! *1 it is money, I will give it to you will- i j ingly. I have no cash on me, but I will; jgive you a cheque.' I said, 'I don't want ; ia cheque; I'll have to look for the luone^; myself.' I told Spencer to tie his hands, i 'but he did not do it properly, so I tied : I them myself. Then I tried to gag him jHe grabbed at the razor before I tied, his hands, but 1 snatched it away and in doing >o cut my hand and also one-, 'j of the man's fingers. He said. "You havr j t 'cut an artery.' I tied his finger with I my silk handkerchief. 1 "While I was attempting to gag him there was a. ring at the doorbell and 1 i instructed Snow to sing cut that he was all right. .As I walked toward the door I heard a crash of slaps and my brothet ran to inform me that Snow had got out of the window. We then rushed out; the side door and got a yellow taxi in Palmer Street. We drove to Pic-ton and later to Gundagai, where we were arrested." William Pupert Snow said that his first knowledge that they were in the place was when the door closed and Ivr heard one say. ''Keep quiet or wc will slit your throat." Two men hr ' ,i razor' ;each and the third appeared ti carryjinfr a rifle bayonet. j When the ring came at the doorbell he jtook the opportunity to break a glass 'door and get into the next flat. Sergent reserved his defence and was committed for trial, bail being allowed at £200.