Turkey theft charge

Press, 4 December 1979, Page 10

Turkey theft charge

The courts

A truck driver, who was named Canterbury “Driver of the Year” in 1978, yesterday went on trial in the Supreme Court on a charge of theft of three cartons of turkeys from two refrigerated containers he was consigning from Rangiora to Lyttelton. The accused, Barry John Weastell. aged 29, a driver employed by Refrigerated Freight Lines, Ltd, has denied a charge of theft as a servant from his company of the turkeys, valued at $127,

on August 7. The trial is before Mr Jus- . tice Somers and a jury. | Mr G. K. Panckhurst is appearing for the Crown, and Mr W. G. G. A. Young. i with Mr M. S. Wilson, for j the accused. I His Honour adjourned the I trial to today after com- ' pletion of the Crown evidence, in which seven witnesses were called. During yesterday’s evidence the Court heard that “industrial unrest” had occurred at Refrigerated Freight Lines after the in-1 cident. The accused was at' present on suspension from; his job, awaiting the out-! come of the trial. Mr Panckhurst. in his outline of the case, said evidence would be that the accused had been assigned to pick up two containers of turkeys from a processing factory in Rangiora. Having done this he returned to his employer’s premises in Bien-' heim Road and had lunch. He broke the seals on thei

containers, giving his reason • as to ensure that the load was still fully refrigerated. Having done this, and checked the load, the accused resealed the containers and drove to Lyttelton. The Crown alleged that the accused again removed the seals and took the three cartons from the containers.’ Mr Panckhurst said. He traversed movements of the accused which, he isaid, aroused suspicions. The accused was seen leaning into the cab of a truck in which another driver was seated. He appeared to be putting something in the cab. One carton of turkeys was found on a trailer, another I in the toolbox of the accused’s truck, and a third was found by a police sergeant in the boot of the accused's car. Mr Panckhurst said the accused denied having any

, intention of stealing the cartons. and told police he be- . lieved there were too many cartons packed in the con- 1 ifainers. i On the second check at Lyttelton he removed the ! “excess” number, intending [to take them to his firm’s I yard so that they could be 'taken back to Rangiora. When seen leaning into, i the cab of another driver’s! truck he intended to passl over all the cartons to this) driver, who he believed, was! going to Rangiora the nexti day. He had placed the carton in his car “in a moment of panic.” when he realised the wrong interpretation could be put on his actions. Mr Panckhurst said the) Crown contended the ac-l cused’s explanation was non-: sense and the case was clearly one of him being; caught red-handed with stolen property.