ARMED ROBBER

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 80, 5 April 1933, Page 9

ARMED ROBBER

ASSAULT ON "CKENAMN HATAITAI :CASE SOLVED ADMISSIONS TO POLICE

The sequel to a savage attack by an armed robber on an elderly. Chinaman in a fruiterer's shop at 6 Moxham Avenue on the night of January 16 was heard at the Magistrate's Court today when Jack Harry Payne, a labourer, aged 20, pleaded guilty to a charge of robbery with violence. Payno also pleaded guilty to twelve charges of breaking and entering and theft and to one charge of breaking and entering with intent to commit theft. The majority of tho places entered by Payne belonged to Chinamen. Several of tho charges related to offences .committed in Wellington. Others related to offences at Wanganui, Palmerston North, Akura, Dannevirke, and Hastings. As the accused had already made statements admitting tho ofEences, and had said that ho intended to plead guilty tho Magistrate did not consider it necessary to hear formal evidence in the case of each breaking and entering charge. 'Ngan Kay Tun, aged 60, who was attacked by Payne, was called to give his version, of the affair. The Chinaman, in evidence, said that about 11 p.m. on January. 16 a man went into tho shop. Ngan Kay Tun was sitting behind the counter, and when, he got up he saw that the man had an automatic pistol in his hand. When he tried to got from tho back of the counter the man attacked him, hitting him on tho head with the pistol. The man then took about £6 out of the till, and escaped.from'the shop.

Two other Chinamen described how their premises had been, broken into and robbed.

Detective S. Brown, who investigated all the charges against the accused, said that Payne had admitted them all. When questioned about the attack on the Chinaman at. Hataitai ho also admitted that. He said that he had not pointed the gun at the- Chinaman, and had later thrown it into the sea at Ngahauranga. The accused was quite frank as far as he himself was con-i corned, but said that he would not bring in three men. with whom, he said, he had' been working in Wellington. The detective said that he had driven the accused round-Wellington and the accused had pointed out the places he had broken into.

The Magistrate (Mr. E. Page) committed the accused to the Supreme Court for sentence. ,