Traffic officer fined $500

Press, 18 June 1982, Page 5

Traffic officer fined $500

PA Auckland A Manurewa traffic officer of nine years standing, who had lost his job after stealing a towel rail, two fence posts, and paving stones, has been fined a total of $5OO in the District Court at Otahuhu for the offence.

Graeme Wilson, aged 31. pleaded guilty to charges of stealing an $11.50 towel rail in Onehunga. two wooden fence posts, worth $9. in Manurewa in May. and 118 paving stones, worth more than $4O. between January. 1980. and Januarv this year.

Sergeant P. A.’Smith said that about two years ago Wilson, when driving past an unfenced industrial yard in his patrol car. noticed’ paving stones on the ground. which appeared to have fallen off a pallet.

He went back later and picked them up. and later laid them behind his house.

On May 26 this year, while officially escorting a show home being transported, he went into the house on the trailer and stole an unfitted towel rail. On May 31 he stole two fence posts from the side of Weymouth Road. Counsel for Wilson. Mr R. D. Mcquinlan. said it was a great tragedy that Wilson, an officer for nine years, had lost his job.

Wilson realised his actions were "foolish in the extreme."

Judge B. H. Blackwood said that he was not dealing with Wilson as a traffic officer, but simply as a citizen and a first offender who had committed three offences. two of them minor and one more serious.

He fined him $3OO for stealing the paving stones, and $lOO on each of the ether two charges.