THEFT OF SHEEP

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 39, 14 August 1940, Page 5

THEFT OF SHEEP

48 RAILED NORTH

FARM MANAGER GUILTY

Pleading guilty to thefts of sheep, which, it was stated, were sold for over £57, Charles James Robert Scott, a farm manager, appeared in the Lower Hutt Court yesterday, and was committed to the Supreme Court, Wellington.

Detective-Sergeant H. C. Murch conducted the prosecution, and Mr. Phillips appeared for the accused.

David Cairns, a farmer of Hay wards, stated in evidence that his farm was next to the Buchanan estate. Part of the fence was in' 1 disrepair, and occasionally Buchanan's sheep had strayed on to his property. They were always returned, or else Mr. Buchanan was notified. Witness employed the accused at a wage of £3 6s net, and provided him with a free house and milk. There were comparatively few sheep on the property as witness ran a dairy herd, but there were 22 ewes, the remainder of a line of 44. The intention was to let the "ewes lamb and to sell the lambs this season and the ewes next.

On July 29 witness noticed that the ewes had been shifted, and the accused said they were at the back of the farm. Witness ascertained they were not there, though the paddock was sheep-proof. Two days later witness and Mr. "Hugh Buchanan identified eleven hoggets on a Greytown property as belonging to Mr. Buchanan. One of witness's ewes and fourteen of Mr. Buchanan's ewes were identified by them at Masterton on one property, and 21 of witness's and one of Buchanan's in another property. All the sheep bore the distinguishing ear-marks.

Cross-examined, witness said he had found Scott a conscientious worker. The accused had a wife and two children. The farm gave him an allowance of free milk and firewood.

Hugh Wareham Buchanan, manager of the Buchanan estate, said that the farm carried about 1200 sheep at the present time. He gave an account of certain sheep which had strayed on to the adjoining farm and which had been returned, and corroborated Cairns's evidence regarding the sheep at Greytown and Masterton.

Leslie Cahill, stationmaster at Upper Hutt, gave evidence that on July 23 a person named R. J. Scott consigned a truck of 48 sheep from Haywards to the Farmers' Distributing Company, Masterton.

Alister Noel Me William, an auctioneer in the employ of the company, said that about six weeks ago he received a telephone message from a Mr. Scott saying that he was staying in the Wairarapa and wished to buy sheep for Mr. Cairns, of Melling. Witness met the accused "at a sale in Masterton, when the accused said he had authority to buy for Mr. Cairns. Some days later witness received instructions that a Mr. Scott was sending up about 48 sheep for sale at the best auction price. They arrived on July 23, and were sold at 25s 9d, 21s 6d, and 18s a head for a total price of £54 17s 3d. He subsequently visited the properties where the sheep were identified^ ■•

George Patrick Costigan, a butcher, of Lower Hutt, gave evidence that, in addition to 22 fat ewes which he purchased from Mr. Cairns, he bought a ewe and a wether from the accused as the accused's own property. The price paid was £2 7s 6d for the two, which bore a different ear-mark.

Detective-Sergeant H. C Murch read statements in which the accused admitted sending 48 sheep to Masterton and selling two to Costigan. f