THEFT OF CARS ALLEGED

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25547, 15 July 1948, Page 3

THEFT OF CARS ALLEGED

CHARGES AGAINST MECHANIC

SIXTYSEVEN WITNESSES TO BE CALLED

(PA.) WELLINGTON. July 14. Sixty-seven witnesses will be called in the Magistrate’s Court during the hearing of four charges of theft of motor-cars brought against Freeman Ronald Raine. a motor mechanic, aged 26. Raine will also face a fifth charge of theft of a motorcar. and eight charges alleging false pretences involving money and motor-cars. An amount of £12.000 is involved in the charges. Twenty witnesses gave evidence to-day. and at the end of the dav Raine wfis remanded until next Wednesday. Ba;.' was renewed.

Mr J. S. Hanna. S.M.. was on the Bench. Senior-Detective G. E. Callaghan, who prosecuted, said that in 19 of the alleged offences covered by these charges evidence would be brought in an effort to show system. Keith Rex Osborne. R.N.Z;A.F., ot Lower Hutt, said that in April, 1948, he advertised his car for sale. The accused called at his home and the witness signed a note authorising Raine to sell the car for £350 and handed over the car. He received no money and had not seen Raine until to-day. The car was to have been sold on a commission basis. About a fortnight later the witness saw his car bearing different number plates in Wellington and took it to the Central Police Station.

Advertised Car for Sale Seddon Gray, of Lower Hutt, said that after he had advertised his car for sale the accused called at his home and the witness signed an authority for Raine to take the car to show a possible buyer. Raine returned without the car and told the witness he wished to buy it himself. Raine subsequently told him he had sold the car to another man. Raine acknowledged owing the witness £325. The witness was later told that he would not get his car back, and he could not be paid. Two weeks later he saw his car in retone and took possession of it. The witness said he signed two papers for Raine, but he did not know what they were. He had not received any money for the car.

A farm hand at *Pirinoa, Jack Rewai. •aid he had left his wife’s car with the accused at Trentham. Raine had told him later that the car had been lent to another man, and had .met with an accident, and was beyond repair. The accused had supplied him with another car. on which Raine had promised to keep up the payments. The car had been seized later by the vendor, as the payments had not been made. James Peter Skou, a farmer, said Raine had offered to sell his car for him. and had taken it away. The only money he had received for it was a cheque for *5O. He had not seen the car since. Other witnesses were also heard.