SUPREME COURT Trial On Charge Of Radio Theft

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31124, 29 July 1966, Page 6

SUPREME COURT Trial On Charge Of Radio Theft

The accused was a party to) a common thieves’ trick, the Crown Prosecutor (Mr C. M.j Roper) told a jury of four women and eight men at the start of the trial in the Supreme Court yesterday of Charles Wallace Crone, aged 46, a drainlayer, on a charge that on June 3 he stole from Sedley Wells, Ltd., Tuam street, a transistor radio valued at £29 19s 6d. Crone pleaded not guilty. It was not alleged that Crone had handled the radio, Mr Roper said.

Mr Justice Macarthur was! on the Bench. Mr R. G. Blunt | appeared for Crone. ) Valerie Nancy Brodie said) that on the night of June 3 she was serving a man named! Stewart, who was interested ’ in purchasing a transistor) radio. She left him to go to I the rear of the shop to get. pamphlets that Stewart had I requested. ) Francis Graeme Maynard, the shop manager, said on the night of June 3 he had shown some new and used refrigerators to Crone before Crone left the shop. He then turned and saw Stewart, who obviously had something under his overcoat, coming toward him. He asked Stewart if he could help him.

When Stewart said he could not he moved Stewart’s coat aside and saw the radio. He took the radio from Stewart, and as he attempted to usher Stewart to the rear of the shop Stewart broke past him and ran from the shop. He followed Stewart and saw him enter the King George Hotel. He called the [police and entered the hotel [with them. There he identified Stewart and also Crone. Anthony Raymond Stewart said he had been convicted

and sentenced in the Magistrate’s Court on a charge of theft of the radio from Sedley Wells, Ltd. During his examination of Stewart. Mr Roper asked that Stewart be declared a hostile witness, and the application was granted. Mr Roper then put to Stewart parts of the statement which Stewart had made to the police on the matter. Stewart agreed that they were correct

The parts of the statement put to Stewart stated that Crone had said they would go to a shop and help themselves to a transistor, and that Crone bad said he would keep the assistant busy while the radio was taken, and that Crone had talked him into it. The trial will continue today.