SUPREME COURT Two burglars sent to prison

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32612, 21 May 1971, Page 6

SUPREME COURT Two burglars sent to prison

Two burglars who stole money and articles worth more than $BOOO in Wanganui were sent to gaol by Mt Justice Wilson in the Supreme Court yesterday, one for four years and the other for three years. Alan Stewart McLintock. aged 36, an unemployed painter, was imprisoned tot four years on four charges of burglary, two of forgery, and one of receiving stolen property.

Norman Lemon, aged 38, an unemployed pastrycook, was imprisoned for three years on a charge of burglary

of the premises of Chaineys Brothers, Ltd, Wanganui, about April 23. Both pleaded guilty to the charges in the Magistrate’s Court and were committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. It was then said that the Wanganui burglary was committed by three Christchurch men using information one of them obtained while in prison. They flew to Wellington, where they hired a car. Using oxyacetylene cutting equipment found on the premises they cut open the strongroom door and three safes inside. The sum of $7273.77 and electrical goods and watches valued at $1102.70 were stolen. Money and goods to the value of $l6OO were recovered.

The other burglary charges admitted by McLintock involved the Reefton Working Men’s Club, the Mount Cook National Parks Board grocery and a garage in Gore. Mr D. J. Hewitt, for McLintock, said that the accused had been very frank when interviewed by the police and had saved them a great deal of trouble and expense. Mr L. M. O’Reilly, for Lemon, said that the accused took part in the Wanganui burglary only after considerable pressure had been put upon him. In recent years he had made strenuous efforts to keep out of trouble. It was unfortunate that the instigator of the offence had escaped detection. His Honour said that the Wanganui burglary was a serious, deliberate, and wellplanned crime which resulted in a considerable harvest of money and goods. He was prepared to deal leniently with Lemon because until he had become involved in the Wanganui offence he had made an outstanding effort in recent years to live the life of a law-abiding citizen. McLintock had made what appeared to be a clean breast of things, but he had not ' made the same efforts as Lemon to keep out of trouble, ’ said his Honour. McLintock had a long history of offending and the Court had to take ’ into account that the accused appeared for sentence on a number of offences.