SUPREME COURT

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 120, 14 February 1920, Page 8

SUPREME COURT

MISSING TRAM TICKETS

ACCUSED ACQUITTED

In the Supreme Court yesterday, before His Honour Mr. Justice Edwards, tho hearing of the charge against Walter Ashbridgo of having stolen ,C'C5 10s., the nronertv of the Wellington City Corporation, was resumed.

Mr. P. S. K. Macassey appeared for the Crown, and Mr. H. F. O'Leary for accused. Mr. Edgar J. Bock was foreman of the jury.

On the previous day the case for the Crown had concluded, and Mr. O'Leary had made his opening address to the jury, and intimated the class of evidence ho would call.

Accused said that he wa9 officer in charge of tho freight department of the citv tramways,, and had been in tho Dosition for seven years. He had ten employees under him. He was responsible for all the revenue that came through the freight department. He sent in a statement and paid over the cash to the cashier every Thursday. The last check was made about six months ntro. His accounts did not balance then. He was out about ,£8 or .C 9. There were many ways by which shortages could take place—through the shipping accounts': the wharf account, and the railwav accounts. Witness explained in detail how leakages and shortages could occur. Witness had not at any time taken money out -of the office for his own use. When he took charge of the business lie was told to work it up. He had improved the business so that now thev kept two motor lorries and two Ircight cars, and there were ten ' employees. as against two when ho started. He hud to work very hard, and this aft'ccted his health, and he was laid aside with nervous prostration. For tho past ten -rears ho had had domestic illness to contend with. His transactions with Valentino Blake wero during Easter of last vcar. Blake owed him about 1:71, and witness had received 30s. Up to August last no betting transaction had put him behind in his account. AVitness gave Blake .£33 in connection with a commission that he was to arrange with a certain person in respect to the Palmerston races. The .£7l was owing by Blake to William-Oand witness. Blake was asked for the money frequently, and each day he said he would pay the money the next dav. Witness on one occasion told Blake his accounts wero behind, and urged him to get the money. But there was no response to the appeal. AVitness threatened Blake with proceedings, but Blake said that if anything came out witness would lose his job. Betting was Strictly forbidden in the tramway department. He did not report the shortaces to the department because lie thouglit it was possible he would be able to renav them. His wages wero 7s. (id. ner week, and he could not make up Hie shortage out of tliat. This was a constant source of worry, and hp was led to destroy a number of concession tickets on the evening of January 6. At that timo tho shortage was aboiit oEIO or .£ll. and it, had since been discovered that this could be reduced by £1 or ,£3 bv credits that had come in. The value of the tickets wou'.d bs the amount with which he was charged, .£65 10s., less about .£lO. Witness then, gave details of the interviews the detectives had with him on tho day ho was arrested.

Charles Patchet, senior inspector in the trnmwnv department, stated that ac cused wns a conscientious and hard-work-ine officer. There was no doubt the hard work Ashbridge had been putting in had affected his health. The accommodation provided in Post Office Square was not ndenuate for the work that had to be done there. Accused worried a great deal over his work.

James Nolan, conductor of the freight cnr. who worked under accused, said it was possible for leakages to occur in connection with freights. On one occasion lift had handed Ashbridge an amount that hnd not been given in, but winch had been entered on a "collect" ticket which would have to bo accounted for.

_This closed the case for tho defence. Neither counsel addressed the jury, and His Honour's summing up was brif. The iurv. after a short retirement, returned a verdict of not guilty, and the prisoner was discharged. .TOY-RIDERS SENT TO GAOL. His Honour Mr. Justice Edwards passed sentence yesterday morning on the youths Frederick' Palette and Jolm Kirkland Watt, who were convicted by a iurv a few days ago of wilfully damaging two motor-cars, this being a criminal olfenfce under tho legislation passed last session. Mr. P. H. Putnam appeared for Watt, and the other prisoner was not represented. Addressinc the Court, Mr. Putnam said that ho desired to draw His Honour's attention to tho fact that Watt was only seventeen years of age. Ho submitted that the offences of which his client had been convicted were not offences which in the nooular sense were due In criminal instindts. They showed rather that these bovs were the victims of an uncontrollable desire for luxuries.

His Honour: I have heard that before. Mr. Putnam asked that Watt should not be forced to associate .with criminals. Watt, ivas a bricklayer, and had been eighteen months at work, and was now at the very, threshold of his life. Counsel urired that the lads should he subiecled to some form of reformative treatment.

His Honour: That is exactly what I intend.

Addressing the lads. His Honour said that thev had started on a criminal career. and a very aggravated one. The warning they had in November last, when thev were lcnicntly-'treated by the Magistrate, appeared to have encouraged them to continue in their course. "I am going to put you under the control of the Prisons Board," remarked His Honour "and that board will let you out on probation when you are fit to be set free."

The lads were each sentenced to three vears' reformative treatment.

BEFORE THE MAGISTRATE AGAIN; After receiving tho sentence of the Supreme Court, Palette and Watt were charged in the Magistrate's Court, be-, fore Mr. E. Page, S.M., with having unlawfully used motor-enrs owned by E. Mabin, Maxwell Wall, William Wolland. Alfred Harris, and G. B. Bullock. They were further • charged with stealing a blanket owned by F. D. Muir, and a pair of glovijs owned by G. B. Bullock. Mr. P. H. Putnam, who appeared for Watt, entored a plea of guilty on all counts and drew His Worship's attention to the sentence which had been imposed on tho prisoners for doing mischief to motor-cars. He submitted that the facts of the present charges were brought under the notice of His Honour Mr. Justice Edwards and that therefore in view of the sentence already inflicted t.ho present cases would be met by a mere conviction. Palette did not at first admit all counts, owing to a misunderstanding, but subsequently he tendered a plea of guilty. Tho cases arose out of the taking of tho cars for "joy riding" purposes. The blanket was in one of the cars and was by accident transferred to another car. The same applied to the gloves. His AVorship convicted and discharged each prisoner.