London Car Thieves

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 99, 29 April 1939, Page 8 (Supplement)

London Car Thieves

FLYING Squad officers and Scotland Yard men who have been busy tracking car thieves sighed with relief when they heard the following sentences passed at the Old Bailey on Stephen Jones, aged 29, of Brixton, 20 months, and Sidney Morgan, aged 27, same address, 18 months. The two men were found guilty of conspiring with other persons to steal cars. In the last few months of 1938 thefts of cars increased, 'but the vehicles were usually traced. When, however, seven cars completely disappeared in five week*, suspicion grew in the minds of the Yard men that there existed somewhere in London a secret depot where stolen cars were driven end altered before sale. One day a Portland Street dealer telephoned Scotland Yard that he was suspicious of a car which had been

offered to him as & demonstration model. This message proved the undoing of Jones and Morgan. Detectives went to a garage kept by Jones and Morgan at Clapham, seized papers, letters and other documents. These gave them a clue. One stolen car was found in a lock-up garage, and in quick succession six others were traced. They had been sold as demonstration models after new number-plates had been fitted, new logbooks obtained, and the dashboard plate carrying engine and chassis numbers changed. Jones and Morgan made one vital mistake. They overlooked the fact that the engine and chassis numbers had also been punched deep in the metal of the engine itself. Almost at the time when the Yard men had completed their case against Jones and Morgan, Detective-Inspector Alfred Dance was patrolling the Brixton area in a "Squad" car when he «aw a man driving a car, and recognised him as a known car stealer. Inspector Dance stopped him. This man, "Paddy" Malone, was later sent to prison at Txmdon Sessions. Malone

wm identified from a photograph as the 1 man alleged to have driven stolen cam a to the secret depot of Jones and Morgan. Although the value of the oars stolen t wan estimated at £747, it is alleged that j all Malone received for stealing them B £10 a car. While Malone went about the West End looking for a likely car to steal, the o two other men remained at home in 8 their flats. It was stated that Jone* had four previous convictions. He had, in turn, been e a page-boy, salesman and motor dealer. At the time of his arrest he was hopelessly insolvent. A warrant wm out 4 against him for rates, and he was beo hind with his rent, lighting and tradesd men's bills. r Morgan had no previous conviction*, e and had hitherto borne a good character.