MAGISTRATE'S COURT Man Admits Theft And Sale Of Two Rental Cars

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27637, 19 April 1955, Page 8

MAGISTRATE'S COURT Man Admits Theft And Sale Of Two Rental Cars

“Cunningly conceived and executed,”’ said Detective-Sergeant G. C. Urquhart, describing in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday the theft of two rental cars by William Francis Mooney, of Wellington, a salesman, aged 24. Mr Rex C. Abernethy, S.M., remanded Mooney until April 26 for a Probation Officer's report, and sentence. Pleas of guilty were entered by Mooney on both counts. The first was that on March 31 at Blenheim, he stole a motor-car, valued at £725, the property of Archibalds Garage, Ltd.; and the second was that between March 9 and April 1 he stole a motorcar valued at £6OO, the property of Gordon Henry Kerby. Mooney was represented by Mr B. McClelland. On the morning of March 25 Mooney hired a car from Archibalds Garage, Ltd., using the name of Joseph Vincent Maddens, of Hamilton, said Detective-Sergeant Urquhart. The hire period was to be one week and Mooney paid over £2l Ils 8d as deposit. He produced a current motor driver’s licence in the name of Maddens.

Six days later, on March 31, he called at Marlborough Car Sales, Ltd., in Blenheim, and, using the name of John Richard Roberts, sold the car for £675, said Detective-Sergeant Urquhart. The car had been reregistered as a private' vehicle in the name of Roberts at the Nelson Post Office and the date on the registration papers had been changed to January 22, 1955.

After the sale the manager of the car-dealing firm checked Mooney’s statement that the vehicle had been bought from a firm in Nelson. Mooney, using the name of Roberts, had by that time flown from Nelson to Wellington and could not be found, said Detective-Sergeant Urquhart. At 4.30 p.m. on April 1 Detectives Burns and Wallace went to Harewood and found the accused waiting to board the airliner for Sydney, said DetectiveSergeant Urquhart. He admitted the theft and was taken to the Christchurch Police Station. In his possession was £76 in New Zealand currency, £62 in Australian travellers’ cheques, and a bank deposit slip from the Commercial Bank of Australia in Christchurch for £434.

Inquiries showed that Mooney was also responsible for the theft of the car from Kerby, said DetectiveSergeant Urquhart. This theft followed the same general pattern as that of the other case. Kerby’s car was sold at Whakatane for £535. FOUR MOTORISTS CHARGED

Four motorists appeared charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol. Three were sentenced to seven days’ imprisonment and the fourth was remanded. The licences of the three convicted drivers were cancelled and they were each prohibited from obtaining another for 18 months. Thomas Andrew Richard James, aged 21, a truck driver (Mr J. E. Millar), pleaded guilty to a charge that on April 2, he drove a motor-cycle in Moorhouse avenue while under the influence of drink. Sub-Inspector J. C. Fletcher said that James was stopped by two City Council traffic officers. He had difficulty in controlling his machine and was later certified as being unfit to drive.

James had a clear record until this offence, said Mr Millar.

Roland Hook, a foundry worker, aged 47, pleaded guilty to a charge that on April 9 he drove a motor-car along the Main North road while under the influence of drink. Sub-Inspector Fletcher said Hook was stopped by a Transport Department inspector after travelling at 45 miles an hour through a restricted zone. He was taken to the Kaiapoi police station where a doctor certified him as being unfit to drive.

Leonard William Graham, a farm manager, of Bankside, aged 58, pleaded guilty to a charge that qn April 9 he droye a car on Riccarton road while under the influence of drink. Mr Stringer, of the Transport Department, stopped Graha mwhen he noticed him driving an erratic course. Graham was certified to be unfit to drive.

Martin John Howard, a drainlayer, aged 23, of Harewood, was remanded until May 2 on renewed bail, on a charge that he drove a motor-vehicle m Selwyn street on April 2 while under the influence of drink or drugs.

NAME SUPPRESSED A woman, whose name was ordered not to be published, was convicted and ordered to .come up for sentence if called within 12 months on a charge of stealing £1 10s in money, a small change purse and a handkerchief, of a total value of £1 17s 6d. BREACH OF PROBATION To give him the opportunity of making restitution, Brian William Bulman, aged 29, a presser (Mr W. F. Brown), was remanded to June 2 on a charge of committing a breach of his probation by failing to repay £lB 16s as directed.

Mr Brown said that three weeks earlier Bulman was charged before another Magistrate and was given three weeks’ grace in which to pay the money. Since that time he had been involved in an accident and could only work for part of the period. He asked that the Magistrate extend him further leniency by extending the period. The Magistrate said he would allow Bulman a further six weeks in which to make restitution. REMANDED Trevor Gerald Dallow, aged 17, a baker’s labourer, pleaded not guilty to a charge of converting a car valued at £2OO, the property of Mary Baker, on April 17, and was remanded to April 21. Bail was fixed in his own recognisance of £25 with one surety of £l5O. John Stanley Finnell, aged 26, a labourer, was remanded to April 21 on a charge of escaping from lawful custody at the Paparua Prison on March 17. (Before Mr L. N. Ritchie, S.M.) FINED £l5 “Already you have an unenviable list of previous convictions. You are.

[ understand, one of a gang of hooligans and unless you break away from that gang you will go away for a period of Borstal training. I am going to give you a last chance,” said the Magistrate, when Brian John Sumner (Mr D. J. Hewitt) appeared for .sentence on a charge of concealing two girls who had escaped from the Burwood Training School, between February 10 and February 21. He was convicted and fined £Ta. Mr Hewitt said accused had been associated with other young men of not very good character, but, he had seen the error of his ways and was willing to make amends. SHIP DESERTER IMPRISONED Raymond ..Westhead, aged 23, a seaman, was convicted and sentenced to one month’s imprisonment on a charge that on January 24 at Wellington he deserted from the overseas ship Corinthic. At the expiry of his prison sentence he will be deported.