EMPLOYERS ROBBED

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 70, 20 September 1933, Page 10

EMPLOYERS ROBBED

YOUNG MEN CHARGED

PROCEEDS EXCHANGED

LARGE SUM INVOLVED

Stealing goods from their employers and exchanging them for goods stolon by employees of other firms, was the cause of the appearance of several young men, whose ages ranged from 17 to 23, before Mr. E. Page, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court today on charges of theft and receiving stolen property. The- value of tho stolon goods, which were mainly radio accessories, was substantial, but 'for the most part the goods were all returned to their owners after the police had investigated the matter. The firms from which the goods were stolen were tho Electric Lamp House, the Stewart Hardware Co., Ltd., and Healing and Co. The accused, James Kerr Stewart, aged 21, Eobert Edison Kooderkirk, aged 23, Neil Simpson, aged 18, Sidney Ellis Lowe, aged 18, and Noel Winston Cook, aged 17, pleaded guilty. The cases presented somo unusual features, and the Magistrate said that he would take time to consider them. Kef erring to tho case against Stewart, against whom there were throe charges of theft and ono of receiving, Detcc-tivc-Scrgeant Revell said that the accused had been in the employ of. the Electric Lamp House for about twelve months. It came under the notice of Detectives Bourke and Long that. he had been stealing from this firm, and it was discovered that between Juno and September he had stolen radio parts valued at £117 12s 3d. The accused had become acquainted with Rooderkirk, who was employed by Healing and Co., and they agreed to exchango goods which they stole from their respective firms. In this way Stewart received goods valued at £13 7s and Rooderkirk received goods valued at £33 14s. The detectivesergeant said that the total value of the goods stolen from tho Electric Lamp House was £537. Mr. J. Meltzer, who appeared for Stewart, said that the accused was charged with stealing goods valued at £118 12s 3d only. He was instructed that there was absolutely no connection between the thefts committed by the accused and those committed by other employees of the same firm. "SHEER TEMPTATION." Counsel said that he did not attempt to justify the action of Stewart. The young man had joined the staff of the Electric Lamp House some months ago, and prior to that had been employed for some years by an oil company. The accused was so highly thought of by his superiors in the oil company, that when it was found necessary to dispense with his services they did not do so until they had found him a new position. Tho young man had saved money, attended the Technical College at night, and in addition studied French at a commercial school. In his home he was an admirable boy in every way. "I submit that it is a clear case of sheer temptation," said Mr. Meltzer. "The business of the Electric Lamp House is somewhat different from the average type. Hundreds upon hundreds of small articles are lying about the shop, and the accused must have started taking small articles, and then became hopelessly involved." THEFT AND RECEIVING. Detective-Sergeant Revell said that Rooderkirk, against whom there were two charges of theft and three of receiving, had for the past seven or eight years been employed as a storeman by Healing and Co. In June last he entered into an arrangement with Stewart to exchange articles which they.stole from their employers. He received articles valued at £39 4s from Stewart and another employee of the Electric Lamp House, Cook, and tools valued at £5 8s 6d from Simpson, who had stolen them from his employers, the Stewart' Hardware Company. From his own employers Rooderkirk stole cycle accessories valued at £18 Is 9d. The stolen articles had been recovered and there was no restitution to make. Mr. W. E. Leicester, who appeared for tho accused, said that although Rooderkirk and Stewart might have entered into an arrangement to exchange parts from their firms, at the time they probably did not regard the matter as theft in the real sense. The accused had been in the employ of Healing and Company for some years, and at the time of the thefts was receiving £2 5s a week. It was significant that there had* never been a complaint about him until his home had been broken up through the death of hitf mother. The accused Lowe, a message boy employed by Healing and Company, admitted stealing accessories valued at 3s from his employers, and receiving radio parts valued at £2 5s 6d from Stewart. Detective-Sergeant Revell said that when the accused was interviewed by the detectives he gave them no assistance whatever and destroyed or hid numbers of stolen parts, consequently the police gave him rather a bad reputation. It- was submitted by Mr. Leicester that the accused had been subject to tho influence of Rooderkirk. The accused's family was in poor circumstances, and his father had been on relief works for some years. The accused was frightened when he was interviewed by the detectives and was afraid of losing his job. It was thi3 that caused him not to assist them. OTHER CASES. • Simpson, it was stated, stole tools valued at £5 8s 6d from the Stewart Hardware Company and handed them over to Rooderkirk, receiving in return stolen goods valued at £2. Mr. G. Joseph said that when the accused was interviewed by the detectives he made a frank statement and did his best to help them with fiheir investigations. The youngest of the accused, Cook, was charged with stealing goods valued at £15, the property of the Electric Lamp House. Mr. Leicester asked that Cook should bo dealt with at the Children's Court, but the Magistrate said ho would have to deal with his case along with the others. Counsel said that the accused was employed at tho Lamp House in a junior capacity and earned 22s 6d a week. Ho had come into touch with Stewart, and no doubt it was in the course of the exchanges between Stewart and Rooderkirk that he possibly came to think that ho should get something for himself. Applications'that the accused should be admitted to probation were made in all cases. Another youth will appear at the Children's Court on Saturday on charges of stealing goods valued at some hundreds of pounds.