A BURGLAR’S EXCUSE

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 307, 23 September 1926, Page 4

A BURGLAR’S EXCUSE

STOLE BECAUSE HE WAS HUNGRY COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE Edward Ellis Edwards (aged 23) pleaded guilty before Mr. J. H. Salmon, S.M., i’ll the Magistrate’s Court vesterday to a charge of breaking and entering’ the premises of the Dominion Motors, Ltd., Courtenay Place, on two occasions and stealing motor accessories to the total value of £l7 11s. 9d. He also admitted breaking and entering the premises of C. Smith, Ltd., in Cuba Street, and stealing clothing valued at £39 195., and the theft of two motor tires, valued at £lO, the property of persons unknown. James Tennyson, a liftman employed by C, Smith, Ltd., gave evidence of having found the premises broken into on the morning of August 13. William Reid stated that when he arrived at the shop on August 13 he found that £2 had been taken from the office.

William John Smythe, in charge of the mercery department of C. Smith, Ltd., identified some of the goods produced as the property of the firm. Frank Roy Barber, assembly manager of Dominion Motors, Ltd., stated that he had found the premises broken into on September 10. On September 12 witness examined a number of motor accessories at the detective office and found them similar to those stocked by the company. He checked the stock at the premises, and discovered the articles to be missing. Thomas Edward Smith, storeman at the Dominion Motors, Ltd., said that the premises were first entered on the night of August 17. At 11 p.m. on September 9 witness secured the doors and windows of the place, but the next morning found that a burglar had entered through a side window which had a faulty lock. He identified two articles as having been stolen from the premises. Detective J. Hodges said that on September 11 he interviewed accused with regard to two motor tires which he had" been trying to sell. The accused told him that he had bought them in Auckland from an unknown man in the street some weeks before. His explanation was not considered satisfactory, and he was charged with theft. Later accused said he had found them at Auckland, and the same day he stated that lie had stolen them from a car at Auckland six weeks before. On September 11 accused had in his possession two of the articles produced in Court. While he was being taken to his lodgings he attempted to escape, but was recaptured. At the detective office accused said he had other stolen property at his lodgIngs, and when a search was made there most of the stolen goods were recovered. Edwards later said that lie bad stolen other goods from C. Smith’s, but had sold them, and had also stolen about £2 from the same place. In a statement made at the detective office accused said that while he was sleeping out one night he went to C. Smith’s premises in Cuba Street and climbed up a fire escape and a dram pipe at the back of the building. Then he took a rope from the flagpole, and having removed a pane of glass from a skylight, lowered himself with the rope into tlie premises. Ihe first burglary of the Dominion Motors’ premises was committed a few nights later, accused breaking a window and climbing in. Ou September 9 he returned to the premises and stole a number of other articles. "Since I have been in Wellington I have, been up against it, and it was due to my being unable to work and being hungry that I committed these offences,” concluded the statement. The accused, for whom Mr. S. joll appeared, was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.