Seamen’s lockers cut open by police

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34156, 18 May 1976, Page 3

Seamen’s lockers cut open by police

f.V.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, May 17.

Thirty-two seamen’s lockers on the Arahanga were opened by the police with bolt cutters after the men who used them declined to open them with keys, the Wellington Magistrate’s Court was told today.

Neil MacLeod, aged 53, a seaman, was fined $125 for receiving $26 worth of property. He pleaded guilty to the charge before Mr J. A. Wicks, S.M.

Sergeant M. W. Sleeth said the police and other authorities had become increasingly

(concerned about large-scale pillaging, particularly of goods being transported on the inter-island ferry Arahanga between Wellington and Picton. The offences were difficult to detect and many thousands of dollars of property were regularly being stolen.

As a result of a watch kept on the ships, and information received, a search of the ship was made on April 26.

It centred particularly on (the seamen’s quarters. I On the seamen’s deck a locker room used privately by the seamen for their own purposes and property was found. The lockers were all locked by keys held by the individual crewmen. The seamen were asked to come forward and identify lockers for examination, but only two did so and no property was found in their lockers.

Bolt cutters were then used to open the remaining 32 lockers and 12 of them were found to contain obviously stolen property. Initially, five of the crew, including MacLeod, were arrested but others might be charged. “It has come to the notice of the police that if the crewmen are convicted of theft from this ship, they will be dismissed,” Sergeant Sleeth said.

“However, if they are convicted of receiving they will retain their jobs. Those crewmen who have given explanations to date have all admitted receiving the property but denied stealing it.”

He said MacLeod asked to go to the lavatory while he was being questioned by detectives. He was seen to drop a key into the lavatory.

The key was retrieved and the property in the charge found. MacLeod said he had bought it off a person he refused to name.

Counsel, Mr J. Willis, said MacLeod did not want to be made a scapegoat. He had always made it plain to the police that the goods in his locker could have been stolen, though he did not know for sure. He was merely the beneficiary of more nefarious i activities.

i MacLeod was charged onlv with receiving $26 worth of trivial items.

The Magistrate said that, at 53, MacLeod, who had a clear record, should have had more sense. Pillaging occurred only because people could sell what they took.