GORE CHARGES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 170, 20 July 1935, Page 10

GORE CHARGES.

SHEEP-STEALING ALLEGED.

SURPRISE FARM VISIT ECHO. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) GORE, this day. A case of considerable interest was concluded before Mr. W. H. Freeman, S.M., in the Gore Magistrate's Court last evening, when John Slater Sliaw, James Slater Shaw and John George. Shaw, extensive riinholders, of Balfour and Mandeville, were 2>roceeded against 011 0,") informations of alleged sheep stealing, and breaches of the Stock Act. Evidence for the informants alleged that the accused during the past three seasons carried out the practice of marking and tailing all lambs found on their property, irrespective of whether they belonged to neighbours or themselves. The lambs were tailed and earmarked with their brands, and the wool appropriated and sold as their own. Sheep also had been turned out in paddocks to feed with their own flock. Some were branded and some were not, but none of the earmarks was interfered with. The discovery originated in a surprise visit paid by Mr. Parsons, a neighbour, who had gone to the yards while shearing was in progress. Later he saw John Slater Shaw, sen., who sad that none of the Glenure sheep was among the sheep yarded. As a result of a subsequent muster, 121 sheep were found which belonged to neighbours. Some were shorn and some were not. These were taken by the owners, who claimed the value of the fleeces and lambs which must have been running with the wet ewes. The claims were paid by the accused. The practice of farmers was to put aside all stragglers with their lambs found in the flocks, but what the accused had done was to tail and earmark all of them. Thus they lost their identity and their value. It was further alleged that in a statement to the police one of the accused said his father had told him to shear all stragglers, as the neighbours did likewise.

Evidence for the accused showed that, due to the unusually dry season, there were more stragglers last year than was customary. The accused ran SQof> sheep, and the stragglers were a very small percentage. Tt was not the practice in the district for farmers to advise neighbours when they intended to shear. When shearing did occur the stragglers were put 011 one side, and returned to their owners. The accused had no intention to steal. The muster was forced on the accused during the middle of shearing before they had an opportunity to return the stragglers. All shorn and unbranded sheep were retained in a paddock on the home farm, to be returned at the first opportunity. The magistrate reserved his judgment. On further charpes of having shorn stray sheen, and failing legibly to brand same 011 the head with registered brand, pleas of guilty were entered. The, question of penalty was reserved.