HIDING IN GULLY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 95, 24 April 1939, Page 8

HIDING IN GULLY.

LEFT ARM BROKEN.

LABOURER BEFORE COURT.

UNLAWFUL CAR CONVERSION.

Pleading guilty to the unlawful conversion of a motor car valued at £190, the property of International Traders, Limited, Noel Charles Clifford Crouch, a labourer, was. to-day, in the Police Court, committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. Messrs. S. Brittain Bull and •Tohn Donald, J.P.'s, were on the bench. Sergeant Grainger prosecuted, the accused not being represented by counsel.

Krnest Onslow Cox, manager of International Traders, Ltd., Auckland, said that at 6 p.m. on the evening of April ti lie left his firm's motor car on the road outside his residence in Gladstone Road. At 8.40 p.m. he went outside and discovered the car was luieeing. He gave no one authority to remove the car. It was subsequently recovered, having suffered damage to the extent of between £30 and £40.

Norman' Davenport, traffic inspector, residing at Pukekohe. said that about j> p.m. on April t> he came upon the scene of an accident between two motor ears at the Bombay deviation. At the bottom of a gully, about 15ft deep, at the side of the road, witness found the accused, who appeared to be unconscious. Witness got a ropo. intending to haul accused up, but accused said. "All risjht, 111 come." When questioned, accused nt first said the car he had been driving belonged to a friend named "Jack," but later admitted taking the car from Gladstone Road, Parnell. He also said he had not been unconscious when lying among the blackberry bushe* at the foot of the gully, but "was hiding, hoping to get away.

Constable R. E. Fell, of Pukekohe. said he took the accused from the scene of the accident to the Pukekohe police station. Accused had broken his left arm and after being attended to bv Dr J.ejvg.was taken to the Auckland' Hospital. Accused, who was under the influence of liquor. s H id he had taken the car from Gladstone Road, Parnell and intended driving to Hamilton. Detective E. W Mahond said lie interview accused on April 17 and tohl him he was charged with unlawful conversion of a car, being intoxicated whilst in charge of « car, and driving without a license. Accused made * signed statement in which he admitted all three offences.