Man acquitted of robbery

Press, 26 July 1977, Page 4

Man acquitted of robbery

After a retirement of one'; hour and a half, a jury in the Supreme Court yesterday found Allan Harwood, aged. 21. a sickness beneficiary, not 1 guilty on alternative charges, of robbery and theft of a | television set valued at 51039, i the property of Rentacolouri (N.Z.), Ltd. Mr Justice Casey dis-; charged Harwood. Mr J. J. Brandts-Giesen i appeared for the Crown and; Mr D. C. Fitzgibbon for Har- j wood, who pleaded not guilty to both charges. The defence 1 called no evidence. The Crown alleged that, Harwood had stolen a hired; colour television set from the home of a woman in Nursery i Road while she was out and : her children were being | minded by a baby-sitter. Mr Brandts-Giesen said that; evidence would be given that Harwood and a companion; visited the woman during the ; afternoon and returned in the! evening. When the baby-sitter

attempted to stop them taking the television set, she was assaulted by Harwood. To Mr Fitzgibbon, the baby- ' sitter admitted that Harwood ,was the father of her child ;and as soon as he knew she iwas pregnant he had abandoned her. She admitted that she did not like Harwood but denied that she had a grudge against him. I In his address to the jury, •Mr Fitzgibbon said that the baby-sitter had good reason to make a false accusation against Harwood and her word could not be accepted. It was possible that she had (arranged for someone else to •steal the television set and used Harwood as a convenlient scapegoat. ■ The television set had never 'been found. It was a method ;of finding someone to blame for the theft and at the same time settling an old grudge. (There was only one possible [Verdict on the evidence and That was not guilty to both charges.