BREAKING AND ENTERING

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27097, 21 July 1953, Page 6

BREAKING AND ENTERING

YOUTHS ADMIT SIX CHARGES

Two youths, Earl Prince, aged 19, a labourer, and Noel Francis Murray, aged 17, a labourer, appeared in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday before Mr F. F. Reid, S.M., on six charges involving the breaking and entering of business premises and two charges of attempted conversion of motor vehicles. Each was separately charged with theft. They pleaded guilty to all charges.

The breaking and entering charges were: on July 7, the shop of Cromb and Merritt, Ltd., 110 Cashel street, with intent to commit theft; July 9, the warehouse of G. McClatchie and Company, Ltd., 48 Lismore street, with intent to commit theft; on July 7, the warehouse of the Chic Manufacturing Company. Ltd., 56 Lichfield street, with intent to commit theft: on July 7. the warehouse of Stanley Alan Symes, 650 Colombo street, and committed theft; on July 7, the Cash Tailoring Company, 632 Colombo street, and committed theft; on July 7, the shop of Ernest Adams, Ltd., 652 Colombo street, with intent to commit theft. They were also charged that on July 9 they attempted to convert motor-vans valued at £7OO and £7OO. the property of Alexander Arthur Allen and Renald Charles William Poulsen, respectively. Prince was further charged with stealing on June 2 a gold watch valued at £l5. the property of William Miri. Murray was charged with stealing a jemmy valued at 10s 6d, the property of Colin John Brownie. Detective-Sergeant G. W. Alty, who prosecuted, said neither of the accused was employed at the time of the offences. About 9.15 pm. on July 9 they were seen interfering with a motor-van and were arrested. At the detective office they admitted having tried to convert another van of the same make earlier in the day, and also admitted offences committed before that date.

On July 7, with a jemmy stolen by Murray, and a screwdriver, they forced a door of Cromb and Merritt, Ltd., and entered the building, said Detec-tive-Sergeant Alty. They were disturbed. however, and made off. They then went to the warehouse of the Chic Manufacturing Company, where they broke into a work room, but did not take anything. The door in a shop of Ernest Adams was also jemmied open by the two accused, but here again they were disturbed. They again used the jemmy to break into the warehouse of Stanley Alan Symes, where they stole three pairs of trousers and a sports coat, said Detective-Sergeant Alty. At the Cash Tailoring Company they stole a further pair of trousers. At the warehouse of McClatchie and Company they attempted to jemmy open the door of the offices, but without success. They did manage, however, to break into the warehouse by forcing a back door Nothing was stolen from here.

A gold watch found in Prince’s possession was found to have been stolen by Prince from a boarder in a room where he had been studying. All the property had been recovered, said Detective-Sergeant Alty. The Magistrate remanded both accused to July 27 for a report from the Probation Officer.