Sentence for receiving stolen hay

Press, 11 March 1983, Page 4

Sentence for receiving stolen hay

A former stablehand who was found guilty by a jury, at his trial last month, of six charges of receiving hay worth a total of $l6BB. knowing it to have been stolen, was sentenced to six months periodic detention when he appeared for sentence in the District Court yesterday. The defendant. Grant Ernest Taylor, aged 30. had denied the charges. At his trial the Crown had alleged that the defendant received the hay by arrangement from Clifford James Jordan over a period of 11 months to August last year. Jordan had given evidence that he had told the defendant from the outset that the hay was stolen. The defendant said in evidence that it was “a load of lies” that he been told the hay was “hot.” He said he thought the prices at which he had been offered the hay by Jordan — $3 a bale for standard hay

and $4 a bale for lucerne — was the going rate. His counsel (Mr K. N. Hampton) had submitted that it was common talk by Jordan that the hay had" been obtained as payment for work Imposing sentence yesterday Judge Pain said the defendant had not made substantial gain from the hay. Jordan, who had stolen the hay, had been involved in considerably more criminal activity than the defendant. Mr Hampton said in litigation of penalty for the offences that evidence in the case showed that Jordan was involved before the defendant and the idea originated from Jordan. Mr Hampton said that, leaving aside the last transaction, there was no evidence that the defendant made any real amount of money from selling the hay. Mr D. J. L. Saunders, for the Crown, made no submissions.