Truck driver cleared

Press, 17 December 1988, Page 14

Truck driver cleared

A truck driver who was said in the District Court yesterday to have taken home four video recorders, worth $2499, to use as a “lever” for backpay his employer owed him was found by a jury to be not guilty of stealing the machines. The defendant, Bruce William Wilson, aged 40, had denied the charge of stealing the videos, belonging to Sharp Corporation (New Zealand), Ltd, on June 21. Judge Erber discharged Wilson. Mr J. C. S. Sandston appeared for the Crown, and Mr M. J. Glue for Wilson, who denied the charge. Prosecution evidence was given that Wilson was employed at the time by Tai Fong Trucking, Ltd, of Wainuiomata. He had taken a truck load of freight from Wellington to Blenheim. A consignee in Blenheim reported that four video recorders had not been left. Police searched Wilson’s flat in Christchurch the next day and found the recorders in the lounge, covered with a blanket and quilt.

Wilson told a constable he had off-loaded everything from his truck in Blenheim, except the four recorders. He took these to his flat in Christchurch as his employer owed him $2BOO in wages. In evidence, Wilson, at present a beneficiary, of Oamaru, said he had made a complaint to the police that Tai Fong owed him between $2600 and $2BOO in wages. He had not been paid for three or four weeks at the time, and the idea occurred to him when unloading the freight to retain the four recorders, to force his employer’s hand to pay the wages.