MANY CHARGES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 97, 27 April 1933, Page 8

MANY CHARGES.

AFTER SEVEN YEARS.

ABSCONDER FROM BAIL

REARRESTED BY SAME DETECTIVE

.; Arrested on February 18, 1920, by Detective-Sergeant O'Sullivan, on a charge of stealing £20, Harris O'Neill, aged 32, chemist, was later admitted to bail, but absconded. For seven years and two months he could not be traced by the police, until Detective-Sergeant O'Sullivan again arrested him on April 11.

; O'Neill appeared before Mr. W. R. McETean, S.M., in the Police Court this afternoon on a lengthy series of charges. There were 14 charges of breaking and entering Auckland dwellings by day and by night between July 13, 1932,.and April 16, 1933, and stealing jewellery, gold, money, men's and women's clothing, and a wide variety of other articles of the total value of £320 13/. He was further charged with the theft of a motor cycle valued at £100 at Hamilton on January 8, 1926, breaking and entering a dwelling at Wellington, and, on February 18, 1926, with stealing £20 belonging to David Helps, of Auckland.

Mr. H. B. Townshchd appeared for O'Neill.

Arrested On Train.

David Helps said he answered an advertisement and met accused in a boardinghouse in Upper Queen Street on February 18, 1926. O'Neill said he was the representative of a film company and offered witness a job at £5 weekly to tour the North Island and check up on films, which were hired out. Accused told witness it would be necessary to deposit £20 as a fidelity bond. Witness paid O'Neill £20, and obtained a receipt. He was told to wait in the sitting room for half an hour, and did so, but O'Neill never returned. The same evening, with a detective, witness went to the railway station, and there saw O'Neill, who was about to depart for Wellington. O'Neill wa earrested.

Detective-Sergeant O'Sullivan said he saw O'Neill on the express at the Auckland railway station at 7 o'clock that night and took him off the train. O'Neill admitted that he had posed as the representative of the film company, and that he had intended to steal the £20 to enable him to get out of Auckland. O'Neill admioted clearing out and leaving Helps at the boardinghouse. "O'Neill was wearing his pyjamas under his suit when I arrested him, and I found £8 of the £20, which he admitted he had got from Helps earlier that day," added Mr. O'Sullivan. In a statement accused admitted the offence.

On this charge O'Neill pleaded guilty, and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial.

Evidence was then called in connection with the housebreaking charges.