Caught, Out Of Season, With 13,986 Toheroas

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30418, 17 April 1964, Page 3

Caught, Out Of Season, With 13,986 Toheroas

(New Zealand Press Association)

WHANGAREI, April 16.

John Cassidy, of Auckland, was a professional toheroa thief Who was making a business out of it, said Mr E. F. Rothwell, S.M., in the Mag-

istrate’s Court at Dargaville today. . The Magistrate fined Cassidy £lOO on each of four charges for being in possession of 9786 toheroas at Ruawai on January .31 and 4200 toheroas at Maungaturoto on March 26.

“He might as well have gone to Newmarket to crack a safe,” said the Magistrate. In default of immediate payment of fines Cassidy will be sentenced to two months’ imprisonment on each charge. Murdoch Macdonald, of Avondale, pleaded guilty to two charges of possessing toheroas at Maungaturoto on March 26. He was fined £5O on each charge. James Wood, of Auckland, who pleaded guilty to a similar charge, was fined £5O.

Allan Taylor, inspector of fisheries at Dargaville, said on January 31 he and Constable J. J. • Corbett stopped a truck, driven by Cassidy Sacks containing 9786 toheroas were found in the vehicle. Wood was with Cassidy.

On March 26 Cassidy’s truck was again stopped. This time it was loaded with 4200 toheroa. Macdonald was with Cassidy on this occasion. Mr J. W. Bain, for the Marine Department, said it was one of the worst cases to come before the court January was well outside the toheroa season, but Cassidy, after being intercepted knowing a prosecution must follow, and before even receiving a summons, engaged again in marauding the beach.

Cassidy was no stranger to the law in the matter of toheroa offences and the large number of shellfish he was carrying strongly suggested there must be a black market for them, Mr Bain said. .