WAREHOUSE THEFTS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 67, 22 March 1929, Page 13

WAREHOUSE THEFTS

CARTER ADMITS GUILT

CHINESE RECEIVER

Four charges of theft of goods including pineapple, salmon and shrimp paste, and sugar of a total value ;>f £4. 17s, the property of' Burch and Co., Ltd., were admitted to Mr. E. Page, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court to-day by Kobort James Hepburn, a horse driver, aged 42.

Arising out of the. thefts, a Chinese storekeeper, William Joseph Gett. aged 02, pleaded guilty to receiving the goods knowing them to have been dishonestly obtained.

Chief-Detective "Ward said Unit" • the thefts were committed between the 21s.t February ami 20Ui March. For the post five years Hepburn had been employed as a driver for a local iirm of cartage contractors, who did the carting i'ur Burch and Co. Hepburn was frequently in the company's warehouse, from where he had stolen the goods and sold them to Celt at very much reduced prices. Hepburn was a married man, and his employers, stated the chief detective, had asked him to tell the Court that not withstanding the present charges, they would re-em-ploy Hepburn, if he wore allowed his liberty. With the exception of goods valued at £1 8s all the- stolen property had been recovered.

Gett, continued the chief detective, had held a good position years ago, when lie represented the Karotongan Fruit Company, and he spoke English fluently. He had been before the Court in 1923, when he was sentenced to one year's imprisonment for receiving stolen properly. He was now a storekeeper in a small way.

Mr. W.. E. Leicester, who appeared for Hepburn, aaid that prior to committing the offences Hepburn had owed Gett money, and pressure was being brought to bear on him. Hepburn's wages were £.4 IDs a week, and besides supporting his wife ho had been supporting his two parents, aged 86 and S4, and a grand-child.

For Gett, Mr. A. Crosswcll said that ho was only in a small way, and could not resist tho temptation of getting the goods a little- cheaper. Despite what had been said on behalf of Hepburn counsel said that his instructions were that Hepburn was the first mover iv regard to tho stolon goods. Mr. Page said that seeing that Hepburn had not been in trouble before he would be fined £10, and ordered to make good the value; £1 Ss, of the mirecovered goods, on tho first charge, and convicted and discharged on the remaining three charges. Two mouths would be allowed in which to pay the iine. Gett, who should havo taken a warning from his previous conviction, would be senteuced to two months' imprisonment on each of the four charges, the sentences to bo concurrent.