Newspaper thefts result in fines

Press, 26 July 1984, Page 4

Newspaper thefts result in fines

Greymouth reporter - Many varied explanations were given by people apprehended in stealing copies of “The Press” from an honesty box in front of the Greymouth office of the company, Judge Bradford was told in the District Court at Greymouth yesterday. Fifteen people were charged with taking a copy of the newspaper without paying for it. Two people pleaded not guilty and were remanded to October 9 and 10 for defended hearings, 11 were convicted and fined $75, and two were fined $6O, after saying that they had no explanation. Sergeant A. M. Halliday said that the manageress of the Greymouth agency of “The Press” had complained to the police about continuing losses from the box, which had amounted to $l5OO in 12 months. There was an average loss of 20 copies a day. As a result of the complaint, the police had maintained a watch on the box in early June. One defendant told the police that he had placed 50c in the box the previous day to cover the previous day’s issue and the one he had taken. He said that he had had that arrangement with a previous manager of the agency. “That sort of arrangement does not explain the loss of an average 20 copies a day,” said the Judge. Another defendant

through his counsel, said that he had been told by a friend that his (defendant’s) mother had died in Christchurch and had taken a copy of “The Press” to verify if it was right He was perusing it when apprehended. The Judge said it showed how small and miserable one could get, when they would not spend 25c. It was time that people realised the value of newspapers in the community, with its freedom of information. "If everyone took a paper without paying, the newspaper would rapidly go broke and go out of business,” he said. Another defendant, for whom suppression of name was sought and refused, was said to have put 1 cent in the coin box, and said when apprehended that he thought that it had been a 20c piece, even though the price of the newspaper was 25c. Another, whose only explanation was, “I was caught," was told by the judge that he had heard some marvellous excuses, but because he admitted hk guilt without any, hk fine would be reduced. One defendant said that he thought that he had put 50c in the box, but was found to have given only 10c. Another said that he had paid 25c, but admitted only putting 1 cent into the box, while yet another said that he had the money in his glove, and thought he had dropped it into the box in

the dark. When shown that i the box was empty, he was ! asked to locate the money 1 but did not do so in the ’ darkness, “They (the police) j then made me pay 30c for , one,” he said. ’ Those convicted and fined s $75 were Stephen Redmond » Honey, aged 40, a fitter, of j Cobden; Steven Michael i Bellis, aged 19, a forestry j worker, of Cobden; Anthony t McDonald, aged 36, a fores- i try worker, of the Coast ; Road; John Patrick Walker, aged 17, a beneficiary, of Greymouth; Robert Francis Doherty, a painter, of Greymoiith; William Arthur Hill, aged 40, a factory worker, of Kaiata; Anthony John Minto, aged 21, a fisherman, of Cobden; Kenneth Raymond Williams, aged 26, a wharf hand, of Cobden; Russell David Campbell, aged 36, a lifter, of Cobden; Jack Leicester Lee, aged 24, a forestry labourer, of Runanga; and Pauline Thoms, aged 18, a P.E.P. worker, of Runanga. Fined $6O were Brian Andrew Low, aged 28, a coal miner, of Runanga; and James Percy Clive Skelton,; aged 48, a moss picker of: Kumara. x Kenneth Hume, aged 21, a forestry worker of Cobden, pleaded not guilty and was remanded for a defended hearing on October 10, and Trevor Andrew McKenzie, i aged 62, retired, ako pleaded not guilty and was remanded to Octoberr 9 for j a defended hearing ;