SYPHONING PETROL ALLEGED

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 220, 13 June 1936, Page 7

SYPHONING PETROL ALLEGED

Charges Against Service Station Proprietor WITNESSES AT WINDOW Evidence that for 15 minutes thej’ had watched the proprietor of the Stanolene service station syphoning petrol from the tanks of cars parked in his section were made by two witnesses at the Wellington Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Mr. W. F. Stilwell presided. Herbert James Stanbridge pleaded not guilty to four charges of syphoning petrol. After the evidence of some of the witnesses for the prosecution had been taken the case was adjourned for a week. Sub-Inspector G. E. Roach prosecuted and Mr. G. G. Watson, with him Mr. C. H. Hain, appeared for defendant. Sub-Inspector C. E. Roach said accused was a service station proprietor in Taranaki Street. His parking area was surrounded by a high fence, the cars not being visible from the street. On May 13, a Miss Cope, employed by Roberts (N.Z.), Ltd., whose offices were on the fourth floor of the Levy Building, overlooking accused’s premises, happened to look down from a window and saw accused syphoning

petrol out of one of the parked cars He was using a length of rubber tubing and was blowing the petrol into a tin. Miss Cope called the storeman, Mr. Henderson, over to the window and together they watched accused for about 15 minutes. Accused went to three different cars and syphoned petrol from the tank of each. Then accused went over to his own car and emptied the petrol into the tank of his own ear. He made several trips. The two witnesses knew accused and his motor-car. After about 14 minutes they went back to their work. At about 11.55, however, Mr. Henderson looked out again and he saw accused syphoning petrol from a fourth car. At lunch time Miss Cope went down and looked at the cars, taking the numbers of the three from which he had taken petrol. Police Interview Owners.

The owners were seen by the police. One said about four gallons was missing, the others noticed a shortage but could not say how much had been taken. They said they had noticed a shortage at other times and had been unable to account for it. Constable Hudson had seen accused who said he had occasionally taken petrol from tanks of parked cars in his area. One reason was that the owners had not paid for service and another was that complaints had been received about the starting qualities of the petrol and he had found that by mixing oil with the petrol and pouring it back again the starting was improved. Miss A. M. Cope said while accused was syphoning the petrol an attendant went over to him and walked away smiling. To Mr. Watson witness said a number of windows overlooked accused’s yard and she thought some cars had been driven into the parking area while accused was there. The funnel used to pour the petrol into accused’s car was left standing in the tank for the whole of the time. She could not see the cap of the tank but she saw the funnel. Watdiing Accused. To Mr. Watson Mr. J. Henderson said altogether he had spent about three-quarters of an hour watching accused. Miss Cope had said “Come and watch this man pinching benzine from the car.”

Accused had spent about two minutes syphoning each tank. “Do you know that with a tube of that size it takes about 15 minutes to syphon a gallon of petrol?” asked Mr. Watson, pointing to a tube which he had produced and which witness had said was similar to the one he had seen accused using. Mr. F. T. Glasgow, manager of the Te Aro branch of the Bank of New Zealand, said if anybody had taken petrol out of his tank it would have been done without his authority. To Mr. Watson witness said accused had come to him at lunch time on May 14 and asked him if his car was not starting more easily. Witness had said it had started easily’ and accused had told him that he had taken some petrol out of the tank on the previous day and had mixed some special lubricant oil with it.

To the sub-inspector witness said accused had told him this after the constable had seen him. Witness had rung the police later and told them he had been given what he thought was a reasonable explanation. Jack Denby, a boot mechanic, said when he tried to stqrt his car on the evening of May 13 he found lie had practically no benzine left. He had four gallons in the morning. To Mr. Watson witness agreed he had done anything from over 100 miles on Monday and Tuesday. On Monday he put six gallons of Europa in, buying it from Cunningham’s, at the Hutt. It was on this basis he estimated his shortage of four gallons. Mr. Watson said he would produce a certified record of the Europa sales at Cunningham’s on the Monday showing no record of a sale of six gallons. Witness said he was positive he bought six gallons at Cunningham’s.

After Mr. Denby had been cross-ex-amined the case was adjourned.