MAN DENIES BREAKING INTO AMBERLEY SHOP

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27795, 21 October 1955, Page 10

MAN DENIES BREAKING INTO AMBERLEY SHOP

Richard Stanley Wratten, aged 33, a carpenter (Mr B. McClelland) pleaded not guilty to three charges in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Wratten elected trial by jury and was committed by Mr Rex C. Abernethy, S.M., for trial at the next session of the Supreme Court. The charges against Wratten were that on October 7 he broke and entered the Amberley Supply Stores, Markham street, Amberley, with intent to commit a crime; that on October 7 at night he had in his possession without lawful excuse instruments of housebreaking—gelignite, detonators and fuse; and that on the same day he deposited in the left luggage department of the Christchurch Railway station, a suitcase containing goods of a dangerous nature —gelignite and detonators—without giving in writing notice of the contents to the officer in charge of the station. This last charge was brought under the Government Railways Act.

Detective-Sergeant G. C. Urquhart conducted the case for the police. West Radcliffe England, said he was proprietor of thc Amberley Supply Stores, situated on the corner of thc Main North road and Markham street. He said he had a safe in his office. On the morning of October 6 the police called to see him to make certain inquiries, said England. Thev told him something, and he agreed to cooperate with them. When he closed his premises at 9.30 p.m. the next day he handed the keys of the shop to Constable Paddy, who was in charge of the Amberley station, and gave him authority to enter the shop during the evening, said witness.

Shortly after 11.30 p.m. that day witness said he received a telephone call from. Constable, Paddy, and he returned to his business .premises. He found that a plate glass panel in the front door on to Markham street had been shattered and the door was open. Nothing was missing. Constable J. A. Paddy said that as a result of information he received from Detective-Sergeant E. G. Ward h< made certain arrangements with M; England. About 10 o’clock on the evening of October 7 he entered the shop with Detective-Sergeant A. B. Tate. They went into the storeroom. At 10.20 p.m. he saw two men come off the Main North road along Markham street to the main door of the store. One was wearing a light-coloured overcoat. This man gave two bangs on the woodwork of the door and the two men then walked away and returned about five minutes later. When they returned the man wearing the light coloured overcoat broke the glass of the door and then walked away from the shop, said Constable Paddy. About five minutes later the man wearing the light overcoat began pulling pieces of glass from the broken door and throwing them inside the shop. This man was then grabbed by Detective-Sergeant Ward. Immediately, he opened the door and went to Detective-Sergeant Ward’s assistance, said Constable Paddy. Gelignite in Lunch Case

Witness said he saw DetectiveSergeant Ward take from the accused's pocket a small lunch box. When this was opened it was found to contain one stick of gelignite, several pieces of fuse with detonators attached and also a broken knitting needle. The man apprehended—the accused was taken to the Amberley police station where he was cautioned. The accused refused to give his name. He was told he would be charged with breaking an I entering the store. “He replied: You think you have a good catch and that I will probably get 14 years for it,’” said witness. He later gave his name as Dick Wratten. When accused was first arrested he acted as though he was drunk. "I told h ’ m I was too old in the head for said Constable Paddy. Accused had been drinking but he was perfectly sober. He said he later took Wratten to Christchurch where he was charged. Detective-Sergeant Tate gave similar evidence.

Constable P. V. Keown said that after Wratten had been locked in the cells he went out to search him to make sure he had no further personal effects on him. In his left fob pocket witness said he found some loose change and a left luggage ticket which, with the lunch case, J at ? r £ and ed to the detectives. Michael James Morgan, clerk in charge of the left luggage and parcels office at the Christchurch railway station, said the ticket found on wratten was issued on October 7. He said Wrattan had no authority to leave gelignite and detonators at the left luggage office. Detective-Sergeant Ward said that as a result of information he received he went to Amberley and interviewed Mr England. He confirmed certain information that had been given to him. He corroborated evidence given by Detective-Sergeant Tate and Constable Paddy. He said that a knitting needle or some such similar article was required to tamp gelignite into the keyholes of safes. Wratten had in his possession all that was required to blow open strongrooms or safes. Detonators in Suitcase

Detective-Sergeant Ward said he interviewed Wratten in Christchurch and asked him who his companion was. Wratten said he was alone and declined to say when he arrived at Amberley and how he had travelled there.

On October 8. he took accused to the railway station and uplifted the suitcase which was the subject of the left luggage ticket. He opened the case immediately and found it contained nine sticks of gelignite, a small roll of fuse and 17 detonators in a small tobacco tin, said witness. As the result of a comolaint received, he asked accused how he came into possession of the detonators and gelignite. Wratten assured him that they had not been obtained from the source he was interested in. Accused said they had been bought

legitimately but he declined to say who had bought them and intimated that they had not been bought in Christchurch.

‘‘Gelignite and detonators are dangerous goods and it is not normal to store detonators with gelignite,” said Detective-Sergeant Ward. “There is always a danger of explosion by knocking or bumping when detonators could be set off. If the suitcase had been dropped from a height, it might have exploded and if that was the case it most certainly would have killed or seriously injured any person in the vicinity,” he said.

That completed the evidence for the police and Mr McClelland reserved his defence.