SHEEP-STEALING.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19675, 19 July 1929, Page 4

SHEEP-STEALING.

SOUTHLAND MEN FINED.

(rust uiocimoi rsuo&ttt.)

I-VVERCARGILL, July 18

In the Magistrate's Court to-day, William Warnock, John Warnock, and Christopher Owen-Cooper pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing two lambs, valued at 30s each, the property of John Gunn, sen., farmer. Detective-Sergeant Hewitt said that Gunn, jun., counted the lambs on June 7th and found the number correct. Two days later two lambs were seen to be missing. A search disclosed that two lambs had been killed and skinned in the bosh. The Detective-Sergeant visited the Warnocks' house at Winton. The Warnocks denied the offence, but it was unfortunate for them that tome chops were being fried at the time for which they could not account. Finally Owen-Cooper admitted the offence and dug up a portion of one of the lambs from his garden. In the Warnocks' garden another portion was found buried in a sack. The men had all made statements, and one had said that while they were playing cards someone had suggested that they get a sheep. This was significant, as farmers in Winton complained that sheep were ••ing taken. Winton was a small place and it was not likely that there were any more sheep-atealers there. The men had atated that they had been drinking. Owen-Cooper was fined £lO and the warnocks £ls each, but on being informed that the latter had spent a week in custody the Magistrate reduced their fine* to £l2 each