Water theft attempt

Press, 15 December 1983, Page 18

Water theft attempt

PA Whangarei The attempted theft of $5 worth of municipal water has been alleged in the District Court at Whangarei. John Bernard Henry Stacey, aged 54, unemployed of Whangarei, denied trying to steal the water from Whangarei City Corporation, but was convicted by Judge Paul and fined $l5O. The Court was told that the police and city council staff followed up advertise-

ments offering water tor sale. The water, for households or swimming pools, would cost $6O a tankload, the advertisements said. The city dog ranger and a traffic officer visited Stacey’s home where they found a high-pressure hose attached to a fire hydrant. The hose, empty but wet, was lying alongside a truck carrying a large tank. Stacey told the Court he had not taken water from the hydrant, but had turned

it on so that children couia play in the water. Stacey said he took water from his property at Ngunguru, near Whangarei. Stacey also denied charges of dangerous driving and failing to stop for a red light. He was also found guilty on these charges. For dangerous driving he was fined $lOO and was disqualified from driving for six months, and for driving through a red light he was fined $4O.