THEFT OF CREAM.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 124, 27 May 1932, Page 12

THEFT OF CREAM.

TROUBLESOME YOUTH. CONCERN AMONG FARMERS. SENTENCE OP IMPRISONMENT. 'Bv Teiegrai.l.—Own Correspondent.} OPOTIKI, Thursday. A charge of stealing a can of cream valued at 30/, the property of W. Pv. A. Walker, was brought against Gilben Chalklen, aged 19, in the Opotiki Police Court to-day. Accused pl<»ded not guilty. Sergeant Millar said the accused wae employed for some time by Walker, and was discharged on March 12. On April 10 a can "of cream was removed and knocked over in the mud. A pair of shoes, which were identified as belonging to the accused, had been found in the yard. R. W. Walker said the weight of the cream in the can was about .'olb. Footsteps were traced leading towards the accused's home, which was about a mile away. Cross-examined by Sergeant Millar, accused said he went to Kawhia the morning after the cream was stolen. lie told his people he was going to Gisborne, but changed his mind. He denied that he lived chiefly by stealing from neighbours. He had never heard any complaints about cream being stolen.

Sergeant Millar said accused was arrested at Te Awamutu on Saturday last. He pointed out that thefts of cream had caused trouble on several occasions, and low tests had caused concern among the farmers. It had been suggested that cream had been taken out of the cans and water substituted. There was a suspicion that the accused had been concerned in other cases. These cases were very difficult to detect.

Sentencing the accused to 14 days' imprisonment, the Bench said that Chalklen had given a lot of trouble and had cost the country a good deal of money.