HOSTILE WITNESS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 225, 22 September 1932, Page 14

HOSTILE WITNESS.

WELLINGTON BURGLARY CHARGE. MAGISTRATE GIVES WARNING. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. Two young men, Edwin George Valentine Roberts, aged 23, and Raymond Patrick Let ton, aged 26, were charged in the Magistrate's Court to-day with breaking and entering the premises of Lauchlans, Ltd., and stealing jewellery to the value of £317 19/0. Letton was further charged with breaking and entering the warehouse of Schneideman and Sons and stealing clothing, valued at £121 15/.

One of the witnesses for the prosecution, Gordon Frederick Miller, who had had charge of a truck which was left behind Lauchlans' shop,' said he could not account for the truck being there and that it must have been stolen.

Detective Sergeant Revell said that the police had been acting on definite information by this witness.

The magistrate declared the witness hostile, and instructed the detectivesergeant that he could put any portions of the witness' statement to the witness.

When similar denials were made to other questions, the magistrate said to Miller: "You are obviously not telling the truth. Well, these statements can be checked and I want you to understand your position. If it is found that you are withholding the truth, or not telling the whole truth, I will direct that you be prosecuted for perjury." In answer to counsel for Letton, Miller said that Detective Sergeant Revell and Detectives Smith and Ritchie got him out of bed at two o'clock on the morning of June 27, and asked him to account for the truck being at the scene of the crime. He was taken to the detective office, where he remained until 10 o'clock in the morning. Another delay occurred when a brother of Miller, at present serving a term for burglary, said that a statement made by him to the police recently in connection with the matter wa6 not true. A conversation which it was alleged the two accused had carried on in the police cells at New Plymouth was recalled by Constable Butler, who had noted it unknown to the two men According' to the notes, the two accused ! discussed their movements, Letton men-, j tioning that "There are three jobs they, can fit on to nic." He referred to one Tuby. who "must have talked too ' much." The witness added that "a 1 jewellery job and Schneideman's" was mentioned. j The hearing was adjourned.