Thief lost his cool

Press, 3 April 1980, Page 1

Thief lost his cool

Philip Herriot became suspicious when a “shaking, gibbering man” bought a tin of car polish from him at the Barrington Service Station at 4.15 p.m. yesterday. Working on a hunch, he checked the day’s takings and found $2OOO in cash and cheques missing from the garage storeroom. Mr Herriot sprinted into the forecourt just in time to see the edgy customer driving off in great haste. The car was stopped a •few minutes later by a police patrol not far from the’ garage at 253 Barrington Street. Its driver, a man, aged 38, was later arrested and charged with theft. He will appear in the District Court this morning. All of the missing money and a tin of car polish were recovered from the vehicle. Mr B. Cations, a partowner of the service station, said the thief ' had apparently picked his moment. “We were flat out with the pre-Easter. rush,” he said. “Mr Herriot was serving somebody in the showroom when this other chap appeared from nowhere. The only way he could have arrived was through the back door of the showroom.” Mr Cations said the man, who had been “shaking and gibbering: really on edge,” had asked Mr Herriot' for a can of car polish and had fumbled in his pocket for some money. , , *‘l guess he thought he had to buy something as an excuse for being there. If he had walked straight out he might have got awav with it but Mr Herriot became suspicious.” Mr Cations said that Mr Herriot, who has worked at the service station for several years, had been able to give the police a good description of the getaway car.