PIG CARCASES

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 39, 15 February 1945, Page 6

PIG CARCASES

MISSING FROM WORKS

TWO BUTCHERS ON TRIAL

The alleged unauthorised removal of a number of pig carcases from the Auckland Farmers' Freezing Company's works at Southdown in November last resulted in two butchers being placed upon trial before Mr. Justice Callan* and a jury in the Supreme Court to-day. The accused were George Gill, aged 31 charged with stealing 34 baconer pigs valued at £189, and also with receiving the pigs, knowing them to have been dishonestly obtained, and Victor Kennedy Simpson, aged 30, who was joined with Gill on the receiving charge. Both accused pleaded not guilty. Mr. Cleal appeared for the Crown, Mr. M. Robinson for Gill, and Mr. T. Henry for Simpson. Mr. Cleal said the evidence for the prosecution would show that on November 21 last it was discovered that a number of carcases belonging to the Hydra Bacon Company were missing from the stores of the Farmers' Freezing Company at Southdown. That morning two detectives visited Simpson's butcher's shop in Karangahape Road and in the factory saw 34 carcases of baconer pigs which were subsequently identified by the manager of the Southdown works as some of the missing. pigs. Simpson was not at the shop at the time but when he arrived and was asked for an explanation it was alleged, he said, "this is one time you have got me stumped." He also said he didn't know the pigs were there or who had delivered them. He added that he could not say why the pigs had been delivered to his shop and was sure a mistake had been made. It was alleged, said Mr. Cleal, that Gill was one of the men who had had carted the pigs to the sh<pp in a van of the Hygienic Meat Distributors, a firm for which Gill had worked for two years. When interviewed by the detectives Gill said he knew nothing about the pigs delivered to Simpson and that the police were "barking up the wrong tree." Gill was not employed by the Hygienic Meat Company at the time of the alleged theft. Joseph Henry Jones Ridley, works manager at the Farmers' Freezing Company's works at Southdown gave evidence of identification of the pigs recovered from Simpson's premises. Game Would Be Up In answer to Mr. Robinson witness said the Hydra Company had their own wagons and a Hydra pig was supposed to be loaded on to a Hydra wagon. The moment anyone saw a Hydra pig loaded on to another wagon the game would be up. The head foreman, who had assistants, was supposed to check every load that went out and get a receipt. The system of checking was supposed to be good and continuous. He would not suggest the head foreman or foreman were in collusion. To remove pigs from the freezing works without authority would be very difficult—he thought almost impossible —without being detected. They could be removed by collusion with someone. There was no similarity in the vans of the Hydra Company and the Hygienic Company, and it would be obvious to the three or four men loading if a Hydra pig was loaded on to a Hygienic lorry. He did not know Gill before the proceedings in the Magistrate's Court. (Proceeding)