HEAVILY ARMED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 286, 3 December 1931, Page 7

HEAVILY ARMED.

FARMER FINED £50.

DISCOVERY AT KINGSLAND.

REVOLVERS AND AMMUNITION

ACCUSED -DENIES OWNERSHIP

When detectives searched a house in Kingsland last week they discovered an automatic- pistol, a six-chambered revolver and ammunition. As a sequel to this discovery, Corneillc Hubert Dβ May, aged 37, farmer, appeared at the Police ' Court this morning. De Slay was charged with Dclng found in unlawful possession of a .38 calibre automatic pistol and a" .4.5 calibre revolver, and ammunition for.both, without lawful and sufficient purpose- He pleaded not guilty. Constable H. Scandrctt, attached to the amis office at police headquarter?., said that in July last he called upon accused and asked him to call at the arms ofh'ce and register his change of addrese in connection with ownership of a revolver, which he had previously registered at Fcilding. On being asked if he had any ammunition for the revolver, De May said that he had not. He also said that he did not have any other weapon. Constable Scandrett then produced the two weapons concerned in the charge. "Neither is registered," he said, "and it is illegal to have possession of an automatic, pistol or automatic ammunition under any circumstance*. Dβ May told me, when I eaw him. in July, that ho had no ammunition or other revolvers, and invited me to search his effects. I took his word for that." Search by Detectives. Evidence was given <by Detective Mills, who, in company with. Detective Knight, searched accused's room at a house in Kingsland on November 27, that he iound in a small box the two weapons and aldo 144 rounds of automatic pistol ammunition. Two youths, sons bf the woman in whose house accused had resided, both stated that the box the weapons were found in belonged to De May. Accused's Counsel: Your uncle had war service. Are you sure ha did not bring the revolvers to the house ?—Yes. Did you see accused bring them?—No, but they were found in a box wliich I saw him take to the house. Detective Knight said he went to the house in Kingsland to inquire into the death of a woman last week, and because of accused's actions and the fact that he would not answer questions satisfactorily he was detained. De May said that a revolver, which he had registered, was deposited with a Hamilton solicitor. Witness found this to be correct. The two revolvers produced in Court were not registered.

Accused in Witness Box. Counsed for De May, after stating that the defence was that the revolver, pistol and ammunition did not belong.to. him, called De May, who described himself as a farmer, -but said he had recently been selling fire extinguishers on commission. He denied that the weapons were his. His own revolver was registered. It .was a war trophy. Detective Sergeant Kelly: The boy saw you bring the box to the house.. The revolvers were found in that box?—l brought in boxes for the '.woman with whom I was staying. Mr. Kelly: You did not give these details to the detectives when they saw you. You have some previous "convictions ? —Yes. You came out of gaol in January last after doing 21 months? —Yes. "Nobody is allowed to hav© v these weapons, more especially a man with a criminal record like yours," Mr. P. K. Hunt, S.M., told De May, in convicting him. "The maximum penalty is a fine of £100, or three months' imprisonment, so I will halve that in this case. You will be fined £50 or six weeks in gaoL" Counsel asked for time to pay, stating that De May's wife and child were waiting for him in the passage outside the court room. "We might never see him.-again if he i sgiven time," said the magistrate. Counsel: Fifty pounds is a lot of money to find. Will you give him a week to pay? A reconciliation between his wife and himself is being effected. Mr. Hunt: He has been living with another woman. No, let him send out for the money. Both weapons were confiscated.