CARPENTER'S THEFT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 64, 17 March 1930, Page 8

CARPENTER'S THEFT.

I i • T' POSTS AND WINDOW SASHES. * THOUGHT THEM USELESS.'* The disappearance of some building materials from lands belonging to the North Auckland Land Board:at Avondale was responsible for Evan John Thomas (33), carpenter, being in the Police Court to-day charged that on August 10 he took two window sashes, the property of William John Irvine and' on August 1 that he took 12 fencing posts, valued at 12/, the property of. the board. ' ; _ , According to Chief Detective Hammond, Thomas, who lives in a cottage near the locality from where the materials were missed, stole the posts from a section and the window from an emptyhouse, lie used the posts for a fence and the sashes for a house which lie was erecting. Nothing in the way of dishonesty was previously known against him. For the accused, Mr. J. J. Sullivan said the offences were merely technical in nature. Thomas saw the old posts lying in the scrub, and believed that they were valueless. They were just taken from one Government property to another. Thomas, though pleading guilty, said that he did' not take the sashes.from the v house as implied; they had been lying on the ground for about five weeks and lie thought they also were abandoned. Mr. Sullivan added that some time ago Thomas was in a little trouble ohis political ideas, but ho had changed his .views now. lie was an industrious man and had no dishonest tendencies. ■ The magistrate (Mr. W. It. MnKean) imposed a fine of £2 10/ or 21 d'ays on one charge and .10/ or seven days on the second. Ho ultio ordered the restitution of SO/,