VERDICT OF GUILTY

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32677, 5 August 1971, Page 15

VERDICT OF GUILTY

l Interference ' with car Leonard Francis Gillespie, 1 aged 52, a social security beneficiary, was found guilty in the Supreme Court last evening on a charge of un- ! lawfully interfering with a > car valued at $2OO, the property of Maurice Lloyd Wag- . horn, at Lyttelton on March : 29. Gillespie was remanded on bail to August 9 for sentence. The jury took three hours to reach its verdict. Gillespie, who was represented by Mr J. E. Butler, pleaded not guilty to alternative charges of theft of a car battery valued at $l4, the property of Mr Waghom, and unlawfully interfering with Mr Waghorn’s car. Mr G. K. Panckhurst appeared for the Crown, which called four witnesses. Evidence was given that the battery was stolen from Mr Waghorn’s car when it was parked at the rubbish tip in Gollons Bay while he was on a fishing trip. Kelvin Bruce Scott, a farm manager. said he was checking stock in Gollons Bay with a binocular when he saw a man under the bonnet of Mr Waghorn’s car. As he was driving to the rubbish tip. Mr Scott said, he was passed by a car and he took its number. This car was registered in the name of the accused. The accused admitted being at the rubbish tip, but denied stealing the battery or interfering with Mr Waghom’* car.