Trial ordered on theft charge

Press, 3 July 1979, Page 4

Trial ordered on theft charge

A New Zealand motor-! cycle side-car representative I was committed for trial in I the Supreme Court after the| I hearing of depositions against) him in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday on alternative; {charges of theft, or receiving,! |a motor-cycle engine valued at $BOO. The defendant, Bruce | James Turner, aged 30, a' freezing worker (Mr P. M. {James) pleaded not guilty to | the charges. It is alleged the I offences were committed between December 11 and April 3. Messrs C. A. Pilgrim and J. D Diggs, Justices of the Peace, held after the four prosecution witnesses had given evidence that a prima facie case had been established. They remanded the (defendant on bail to July 30 for the Supreme Court trial. Mr James reserved his defence. Sergeant R. S. Brickmann prosecuted. Michael Peter St Merat gave evidence of having his motor-cycle stolen from bis home on December 11 last jear. In Mav he was asked by (the police to identify a

I motor-cycle engine recovered [by the police. It was the [motor from his cycle. ! He identified an engine I produced in Court as having (the same engine number as (his machine, and there were [two other identifying marks [around the engine he identi- ! (led. j Detective M. A. Kyne said [that when he interviewed the defendant in relation to the alleged offences the defendant said the motor was from a machine which he had purchased some three or four years earlier. He said he had been in Australia between November 30 and December 19 last year. In a statement made to Detective Kyne the defendant allegedly said he purchased the machine in 1976 and ke»t the engine to use in a sidecar unit he was racing. There was no serial number on the crankcase and he did not grind the number off the engine. His statement said he had! been a New Zealand racing side-car representative in I Australia between November I 30 and December 19 last year. He had not stolen the! motor-cycle. j