CHARGE OF BREAKING AND ENTERING

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 110, 3 February 1938, Page 7

CHARGE OF BREAKING AND ENTERING

Painter Pleads Guilty

COMMITTED TO SUPREME COURT FOR SENTENCE

Charged with breaking and entering the dwellinghouse of Mr. J. H. S. Stringer, 0 Colway Street, Ngrilo, on January 20, with intent to commit a crime, Edward Lewis Stevens. Ngaio, painter, aged 40, appeared in the Magistrates Court, -Wellington, yesterday, before Mr. W. F. Stilwell, S.M. Accused was represented by Mr. A. J. Mazengarb. Detective-Sergeant P. Doyle, who prosecuted, said Stevens and the Stringers were adjoining neighbours. On the night in question Stevens met Mr. Stringer, who told him he was on his way to work as a Customs searching officer on the 'Wellington wharves. At 9 p.m., Mrs. Stringer who occupied the bedroom nearest accused’s house, retired to bed. About midnight she was awakened by a noise and saw a man open the window and put his leg over the sill. She sat up in bed and the intruder withdrew. Stevens was interviewed by Detective R. Tripney and at first denied everything but subsequently owned up. He said he had been drinking home-brew but when he went to the house he (lid not mean to do anything. Evidence along the lines indicated by the detective-sergeant was given by Mr. and Mrs. Stringer and by Detective Tripney, who produced a statement by Stevens. This concluded the case for the police. Mr. Mazengarb called Mrs. Stevens, who said her husband and his cousin, after drinking a glass of wine, consumed eight bottles of home-brew. After /his cousin had left by bus; her husband finished about a pint of beer which had been left in the jug. He was very drunk and looked so sick witness asked him to go outside. She knew nothing about the subsequent occurrence till the following night.

To the detective-sergeant she said her. husband might, have been outside for about five minutes or a little more, She found -him in the washhouse and taking his arm led him to bed. • The magistrate declined to agree to a request by Mr. Mazengarb that the charge be reduced\to one of being unlawfully on premises. Stevens pleaded guilty and was committed for.sentence at the next sessions of the Supreme Court at Wellington on March 1. Bail was fixed at £5O and one surety .of £5O.