EX-CONSTABLE CHARGED.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19889, 28 March 1930, Page 21

EX-CONSTABLE CHARGED.

SEVERAL THEFTS ALLEGED.

COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. Ex-Constable Joseph Reginald Wilson, , aged 24 years, appeared in the Magistrate's Court before Mr E. D. M9sley, 6.M., yesterday, and pleaded not guilty to several charges, of theft from City shops. He was committed to the SuCourt for trial, bail being alr lowed. it was alleged that-the crimes were I'.committed Wilson wii a *con* | 'stable in Christchurch, last year. He fewas arrested in I'jisg to evidence yesteday, it ||iook six constables to - place him'{in a *«11. One of yesterday's witnesses was ,'jfc young womgn to whom Wiisoi* was formerly engaged to be married, but the singagement was broken off. S; Mr A. T. Donnelly, Oewn Prosecutor, the «ase for the police, and )Cr W. J. Hunter appeared for Wilson. •' • The OhargC"i. The charges were as follows:—Nl) On February 28tb, 1929, at.Christbnroh, theft of a coat valued at £2B, jhe property of Liberty's, Ltd. 0(8) Between February Ist, 1929, And Ifrroh 81st, 1929, breaking and enterjig the shop of Fanny McArthur, 123 Kuhel street, and committing theft, was" withdrawn. . m Between February Ist, 1939, and iI9S9, theft of goods valued 6d, the property of Fanny •about January, 18th, 1929, tlgry, valued nt £2 .29 9d, sr tft>, Arthur Rose, . . - 'ab'outMay' Ist,; 1929,- theft teed at;24OVW# '6a, the proWon,- Struthers, Ltd. - i . about May Ist, 1929, theft ity of croekery, valued at porty of persons unknown^ led elected, to ;jbe tried by except thd which ,ed sine die. r Coat Exhibited. Mark Hollander, manager s, Ltd., Christchurch, said ruary 28th, 1929, a fur, coat: m the Btqck in the shop. He j by the quality of the fnr, ■) repairs which had been ' theft was reported to the. torch 2nd. There was no i shop having been broken. yrtle - Johansson, 682 Ferry hat she Jh»d been engaged sed. and 4he marriage had . ■ed. They had been. lteep-, 7. for twelve months prior smbei. Aflcusod .was then a j ;i duty in Christchurch. The .the/ cdat -qs a wed•stn November the engage•ofc«r'<«ff("but, ptior to that fur coat f'rort rjrig him' £4 down and £1 son did not tell her where procured the coat. UMcJJamara, who was in night-duty patrol from 9 nuuy 27th, 1529, to 5 V*nd also on the following that Wilson was posted to

No. 8 beat, where Liberty's, Ltd., was situated. If . a constable found a door open it was his duty to report it to the sergeant on duty. No report was made to him regarding Liberty's, Ltd.'a premises. "Resisted Arrest.". Inspector J. Fitzpatrick, of Greymouth, said that following on instructions from the Commissioner of Police, he had investigated several matters concerning the department in Christchurch. He interviewed Miss Johansson and the result was the handing over of the coat. On March. 17th he interviewed the accused at Auckland. In company with Detective Bickerdike he visited the house of accused's parents, at Morningside. Witness said that he had a file at the police station which he wished to discuss with the accused. They went to the Central Station. and accused was informed that enquiries were being made regarding the theft of a coat from Liberty's. Accused said, know nothing about it." Later, he said, ''Oh yes, I saw the girl wearing When told that Misß Johansson had ' Bald that she received the' coat frojn Jiim he replied, "She's a liar!" On reaching bis room a motor-cycle tyre-lever-was found.

When they were opposite the main entrance to the station Wilson violently resisted arrest and it took six constables to carry him bodily into the cell. ; Mr Hunter: Ton had no warrant?— No, not at that time. j Didn't he say had no right to anres,t himl-^-Yes.

Wilsott pleaded not guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial.

Alleged Theft of Frocks. j Eileen Vintner, employed by the j Mary Lee Frock Shop, said that stock was taken every month in the shop. In ! January everything was correct, but at the end of February three frocks, j were missing, and the records did not; show what had become of them. She identified the frocks produced as, the ones mißsing from the ;shop on Febru- { ary 88th, 1929. On March 81st, 1929, -Another frock was missing. -She! re- j siembered all the frocks and they: had been procured from a firm in Dunedin. At the time the frocks were missed a side-window was defective, but witness could not say that the shop had been entered. To Mr Hunter: Witness was a shop assistant, and also had to keep stock. . Donald Walter Woodward,' accountant, said that he kept the books for the' shop. No record was found of three frocks, which were missing at the end of February, 1929, having been sold. Gladys Myrtle Johansson said that the accused gave her the frocks when .■-they were engaged. He did not say' t where they came from. They had been ' in- her possession ever since and she had ' worn them. Inspector Fitzpatrick said that when •told that Miss Johansson had stated i that Wilson had eiyen her the frocks, replied, "I did not," > " Accused uploaded hot guilty and wis committed to the Supreme Court for trial. _ "

Missing Crockery. Arthur Rose said that in January, 1929, he was the proprietor of a crockery and hardware business at 644 Colombo street. On January 18th, a large quantity of stock.was stolen-from the shop. Most of it was recovered, but there was still a certain amount of cutlery missing. There was no trace Of the shop having been broken into. Gladys Myrtle Johansson said that accused took the goods down to her house, saying that they were for their home. He remarked that he had no room for them at thtjjoUe* statton.

Later he called for them but did not get them. Catherine Wilson, proprietress of tearooms in Manchester street, said that prior to going to Auckland accused boarded with her. He said he had some knives and forks and would not want them as the marriage was off. Inspector Fitzpatrick said that he had produced the cutlery to accused in a box at Auckland, and told him that he had received it from Miss Johansson. Accused had replied that be had seen the box and some of the cutlery at the house, but did not know how Miss Johansson became possessed of it.

Accused pleaded not guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. . s

Thomas Conway Wallace, manager of the retail branch of Mason, Strutherß at Christchurch, said that he had identified a quantity of goods at the police station as having come from the shop. Mr Hunter submitted that there was no prima facie- case in this instance as Mr Conway had not said that the goods were stolen,' They might have been bought in the. (ordinary course of business. Accused pleaded not guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. Bail Fixed. Applying for bail, Mr Hunter said that as far as the arrest at Auckland was concerned the accused was possessed of technical idea, ' rightly or wrongly, that he could not be arrested. * Mr Donnelly said: that the offences were especially serious in view of the accused's position, but he would not object, provided the bail was substantial. Bail was fixed at self £2OO and one surety of £2OO, or two of £IOO. Wilson was ordered to report daily to the police.