Man convicted of cray theft

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33189, 31 March 1973, Page 16

Man convicted of cray theft

GVeu? Zealand Press Association* INVERCARGILL. March 30. Bruce Richard Stewart, aged 36, a fisherman. was convicted on four charges of theft and burglary by Mr E. B. Anderson. S.M., in the Invercargill Magistrate’s Court today.

The charges arose from the disappearance of nearly three tons of crayfish from the Bluff cool store of Skeggs Foods, Ltd, between DecemIber 27 and January 10. j Stewart was remanded in | custody until Thursday for a (probation report and senjtence. He had pleaded not .guilty. ( Mr W. J. Kitson represented Stewart, and Mr J. R. I Mills prosecuted. ! An order was made after conviction for the return to Skeggs of the 38341 b of crayfish tails at nresent stored in Dunedin, and also for the return of 7281 b of tails, at present held in Cromwell. I Mr Mills asked for restitution of $10,524.80. The prosecution said Stewart was a skipper of a company boat, and was under contract to sell his catch to Skeggs Foods, Ltd. In mid-December his boat was out of commission, and he helped around the cool store and did some driving. Company records showed the last catch bought from Stewart was two bags on I December 12. ( Further inquiries showed! khat on December 29, Stew-1 (art, in company with Susan! I Irene Hockey, travelled to( in the company’s !van, arriving late at night. (The van held 27381 b of crayIfish tails, which were sold to !a Cromwell firm, Gamepackjers, New Zealand. Stewart (gave the manager a false (name (G. L. Adams) and was (paid $5600 in cash and $1792 |by cheque, Mr Mills said. ' When Stewart was arrested (later at Preservation Inlet, (Mr Mills said, more than (20001 b of crayfish in un-

marked bags was found on board his boat. Stewart claimed this was his own catch, made since he put to sea on the evening of January 6.