THEFT OF GOODS WORTH £470

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23088, 2 August 1940, Page 12

THEFT OF GOODS WORTH £470

•■ ♦ ' MAN PLEADS GUILTY |1 TO 47 CHARGES 1 IMPRISONMENT FOR TWO YEARS When detectives inquired into the theft of a band saw they discovered at the home of Henry Herbert Pearce four van-loads of stolen goods, acquired by / Pearce in a series of 45 thefts during ■ the last 18 months. Yesterday Pearce, . who pleaded guilty to 47 charges, was, sentenced in the Magistrate’s Court tqi / terms of imprisonment totalling two? 7 years. ? Detective-Sergeant J. McClung saidj & that the accused was a married aged 37, living in Christchurch witfe.| his wife and six children. For the!# last three years and a half he had been-p employed by the City Council Reserves!*/, Department under scheme 13. TheSv total value of the goods stolen by th»X accused was £470, and goods wortMr £344 had been recovered. Goods tMjthe value of £126 had been either sold|t or destroyed. .|®- It was fair to say, said Mr McClung,f’ ■ that the accused had been very frajM- v and had helped the police. He askedp for an order for the confiscation of ,afX rifle and revolver among the goods, and for the return of the pro%JS perty to the owners. f Forty-five of the 47 charges were ojfe theft, the remaining two being of keepX - ing firearms without a permit. Th&s. stolen goods included clothing, radidpU' sets, tools, rifles, bicycles, an electric motor, sporting surgical instruments, a typewriter, parts, a sawbench and a drill, and cash-register. /iSI “The systematic method by whi>Mgi these matters have been accomplishqEfe shows that the . accused proposed . S|§f. carry/ on in the same fashion,” sal®!f' the Magistrate (Mr E. C. Levvey, S.M.)/f? On each of the first four charges the/ ' accused would be sentenced to .siasmonths’ imprisonment, the sentences!' to be cumulative. On the others her would be convicted and , discharged.’ - The orders requested by the police would be made.