MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25548, 16 July 1948, Page 3

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

THURSDAY (Before Mr F. F. Reid, S.M.) COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE

Frederick Wilfred Henry David Kelly, aged 22, a labourer, pleaded guilty to 12 charges—nine of breaking, entering ana theft, two of attempted breaking and entering with intent to commit a crime, and one of being in possession of an unlawful weapon, an automatic pistol. The total value of the goods stolen was £135, and cheques totalling £164, on which payment was stopped. A large part of the stolen goods was recovered by the police and produced in Court, where it was identified by the owners. The cheques were also recovered.

The charges to which Kelly pleaded guilty were: on June 10, breaking and entering the premised of the Goss Timber Company, Ltd., at the corner of Durham street and Moorhouse avenue, and committing theft; on June 10, breaking and entering the shop of John James Oates, at 440 Colombo street, and qommitting theft; on June 18, breaking and entering the shop of Lawrence Arthur Kepple, at 449 Colombo street, and committing theft; on June 11, breaking And entering the prerhises of John William Richardson Oakes, at 38 Sandyfoyd street, and committing theft; on June 19, breaking and entering the shop of Mrs Barsham, at 460 Colombo street, and committing theft; on June 16, breaking and entering the premises of W. E. Munday and Sons, Ltd., at 363 Colombo street, and committing theft; on June 17, breaking and entering the warehouse of Suckling Brothers,' Ltd., Dundas street, and committing theft; on June 15, breaking and entering the premises of Bunting and Company, Ltd., and committing theft; on June 12, breaking and entering the shop of Robin William Pitt Palmer, at 455 Colombo street, and committing theft; on June 18, attempting to break and enter the shop of Murdoch Bros., Ltd., at 424 Colombo street, with intent to commit a crime; on June 19, attempting to break and enter the shop of Alfred George Pankhurst, at 422 Colombo street, with intent to commit a crime; and, on June 19, being in possession of an automatic pistol when he did not have a licence. Sergeant O. D. Wilkes said he found Kelly in a shop at 460 Colombo street, at 2.45 a.m. on June 19, and Detective R. H. Watt read a statement by Kelly, in which Kelly admitted all the charges. On the first 11 charges, Kelly was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence, and on the last charge, he was remanded to appear in the Magistrate’s Court for sentence on July 27. Detective-Sergeant A. A. Herron prosecuted and Mr H. W. Thompson appeared for Kelly. WOMAN PUT ON PROBATION Patricia Mary Newsome, aged 26, a factory hand, pleaded guilty to a charge chat, between March 25 and May 28, sne stole sums of money, totalling £4O, the property of Sutherlands Basketball Club. Detective-Sergeant A. A. Herron said that the accused was a married woman. She was separated from her husband and was working in a factory to support her three children. She was treasurer of the

Basketball Club and admitted spending the club’s money for her own benefit. Newsome was placed on probation for 18 months, a condition being that she make restitution of £4O at a rate not less than £2 a month. FALSE STATEMENT TO POLICE Thomas James Dyer pleaded guilty to a charge that, in a written statement to the. police, he alleged contrary to fact that an assault had been committed. Detective-Sergeant A. A. Herron said that Dyer was a single man, aged 23. On June 22 he was found staggering about Smollett street, - with a cut ori his head, by a man who took him to hospital. When he was interviewed, the accused gave his name as Thomas Leslie Morris, and complained that he had been assaulted by two men, one of whom, he said, hit him on the head with a bottle. He was shown a photograph and identified it as that of one of the men who assaulted and robbed him, but that man had been'in a sanatorium for some time. The whole story was fictitious and Dyer had put the police to a great deal of unnecessary ’ work. Mr R. W. Edgley, who appeared for Dyer, said that the accused had had a bad knock on the head. He had been drinking, fiis chief offence was that he had put the police to a great deal of trouble. “It is not a question of putting the police to a great deal of unnecessary trouble,” said the Magistrate. "The worst feature of it is that he identified an innocent man as having assaulted him.” Dyer was fined £5. FARMER FINED Mrs Amy Welsh, a farmer, of Halswell, was fined £2 for allowing cattle to wander on the road. REMANDED Phyllis Evelyn Martin, aged 20, a factory hand, was remanded to July 22 on a • charge that, on October 8, 1946, at i Christchurch, with intent to defraud, she obtained from the Universal Fur Company I a costume, valued at £6 6s, and £3 14s i in money by falsely representing that a I cheque on the National Bank of New Zea- ; land, Ltd., at Wanganui, for £lO, was good I and valid. She was granted bail in her , own recognisance of £2O and ordered to i report daily Jo the police. | CIVIL CASES (Before Mr Raymond Ferner, S.M.) JUDGMENT BY DEFAULT Judgment by default, was entered fo: the plaintiffs for the amount stated in each of the following civil claims:—Star Stores (South Island), Ltd., v. J. A Barron, £l2 3s lOd; Eric Lewin Bayliss v. Reginald G. Price, £1 10s. JUDGMENT SUMMONSES On judgment summonses Silas McAlister was ordered to pay Emma Malone the sum of £l2 10s forthwith, in default 13 days’ imprisonment, the warrant to be suspended as long as defendant pays £1 a week. Errol Leslie McConchie was ordered to pay A. C Marks the sum of £9 13s lid forthwith, in default 11 days’ im~ pri.onment, the warrant to be suspended i as long as defendant pays £1 a week. |