POLICE COURT

Evening Star, Issue 18094, 9 October 1922, Page 5

POLICE COURT

Monday, October 9. (Before Mr H. W. Bundle, 6.M.) bueglarFcharges. Alexander Christie Bennet was charged with—(l) On March 17, stealing a bicycle, valued at £6, the property of the National Mortgage and Agency Company; (2) on Febnwiy 6 last, breaking and- entering by night the dwelling of Ernest Nelson Didham and stealing a watch, valued; at £lO. and £22 in money; (3) on September 8 'last, breaking and entering by night the dwelling of Robert Fraser, and stealing £1 15s and a watch, valued at £4; (A) on January 11, 1921, breaking and entering the shop of William Lovell, and stealing £B7, a cheque book, and a brief bag; and (5) on August 8, 1920,_ breaking and entering at night the premises of Albert Brodie Hall, and stealing £6O and a toy elephant. Mr A. C. Hanlon appeared lor the accused. . . Neville Alexander Thompson, junior clerk. National Mortgage andi Agency, Ltd., Dunedin, said that on March 17 last ho left his bicycle in a porch outside the office. About an hour later ho missed the machine, and reported the matter to the police. On .September 18 he identified ms •bicycle at the detective office. Tno only difference about the machine was that the handle bans had been changed, Stanley Atkinson, employed at Xauls Cycle Works, Crawford street, said he had identified the bicycle produced as one he had repaired for the National Mortgage Company. Detective Roycrott said that, accompanied by Constable Harris, he visited the house of accused at St. Ho intciviewed accused, and asked him whether he had a bicycle. -He replied that he had an old ono in the shed. Accused produced a bicvcle, which ho said had been given him. ' Later he made a signed statement in which he said he had found* it on Anderson Bay road. He admitted that ho had not advertised the machine and that he had used it. Ernest Nelson Didham, taxi proprietor, Bay View road, South Dunedin, said that on February 7 he retired to bed at about a quarter to 1. He placed his clothes on the back of the bod. Ho had a pocket book, containing a race ticket and £22. in his pockets. In his vest pocket no had a stop watch and a gold chain. The watch was taken off tly? chain. In the morning he noticed that his clothes had been removed. and also found that tho kitchen window had been opened and the Venetian blind pinned up. He found his clothes, folded up, at the back door. To Mr Hanlon: He identified tho watch by a little dent on the inner case. He estimated its value at £lO 10s. He did not know the number nor the make, and could only identify it by the look of it. Robert Patterson, Jeweller and watchmaker, said that' he knew Didham as a customer' of his. He first had the watch in for repair on July 21, 1921. _ To Mr Hanlon: It was quite possible that a £lO watch could be sold without the name of the maker or seller being engraved on it.—Mr Hanlon ; ” A r es, you can get them at Jacobs's by buying a pound of tobacco.”

Detective Lean gave evidence of having interviewed accused. Ho found the watch in the front bedroom. Accused 1 said that it had been left in the house by a Mr Grieve, who bad died two years ago. He had known accused for three years.

Robert Fraser, taxi proprietor, 5 Elm row, said that on September 7 he retired to bed a little after 11 p.m. He occupied a front room, the doors and; windows being closed, though not latched. Ho left his clothes at the head of the bed. _ Next morning, he went clown to the kitchen, and found his clothes, along with an extra pair of trousers, in a heap in the kitchen. He had 25s in silver in his trousers pocket and a garage key. In his vest pocket he had a gun metal watch on a gold chain. The watch was gone, though the chain was still there. A metal cigarette case had also been removed. Detective Lean gave evidence of having interviewed accused respecting the key found on him. William Lovell, fruiterer, now of Roslyn, said that on January 10, 1921, he lived at Moreau -street, St. Hilda. , He left his shop in that suburb about 11 o'clock carrying a brief bag containing £B7 in notes and a quantity of silver, two cheques, a cheque book, and a pocket book. On retiring he placed the bag and contents mentioned under the head of his bed. The doors were locked and the windows down when witness and his wife retired. His wife wakened him about 6 a.m., and he noticed that his clothes had been scattered over the floor. He found that the bag had gone. The bathroom window was opened to the full. Witness identified the bag produced as the one stolen, but the lining had been efit out.' He knew the accused, who had been in his shop on. several occasions. Marion Charlotte Jane Lovell, wife of the previous witness, corroborated her husband’s evidence. Detective Lean said lie searched- the accused's house on September 9 and found tho bag produced. In answer to witness, accused had said he bought the bag new six months ago. Later at the detective office lie stated that he bought it two years before at an auction sale; he could not remember at which auction room. Albert Brodio Hall, taxi proprietor, 18 Crown street, North-east Valley, said that lie remembered arriving home at about midnight on August 7, 1920. Before he retired ho placed his coat on a chair in the kitchen, and hung his trousers at the bottom of tho bed. In tho inside coat pocket he hqel £SO in notes, and in his trousers pocket £lO in notes. He got up at about 9 o’clock next morning, which was a Sunday. Ho found his trousers hanging up in the hall by the braces. Tho money was missing from the coat and trousers. The window of the scullery had been opened from the bottom, but the back door was locked, as he- had left it. A small toy elsnhant was also found to be missing', and tho one produced was similar in'every way to the one he had had on the kitchen mantelpiece. Detective Lean said that on searching the accused’s house he found the- elephant produced on the mantelpiece. Asked where ho got it accused said he thought it had been brought from Wyndham by his wife a number of years ago. The wife had ssjd the toy had been in tho house some time, but she could not remember where it came from. Accused reserved his defence, and .was committed for trial at the next sitting of the Supreme Court. Bail as before was fixed—£4oo, with two sureties of £2OO clone of £4OO. PROBATION GRANTED.

Albert Geo. Alexander (Mr Sinclair), who was convicted on Friday of having stolen the sum of £l_ss, the _ property of the Presbyterian Social Service Association, appeared for sentence. The- probation officer (Mr F. G. Gumming) handed in a report of the accused.—'Mr Sinclair said that he admitted that the probation officer’s report was not very satisfactory, but he contended that tho_ report was founded on suspicion. Ho did not think that too much notice should be taken of that, as tho man had only one previous conviction against him. Accused had never been granted probation before, and he asked the court to give Alexander another chance. —Mr Gumming said tha/fc ho was quite prepared to give the accused another chance. —Tho Magistrate said that it was a case for very strict probation. He would be prepared to grant probation for two years. —Mr Gumming said that ho would he quite prepared to take charge of accused.—Accused was admitted to probation for two years. He was also ordered to make restitution of the 2os, to pay witnesses’ expenses amount- ■ ing to £2, and to pay a fine of £5. BY-LAWS TRANSGRESSED., John Aitchison, for passing a stationary tramcav with a van, was fined £3 and costs (7s), tho constable stating that defendant while passing the car called out to the alighting passengers: “Look out, if you don’t want to be run over.”— Stanley Hill (Mr Irwin) and Thomas Jamieson were each fined 5s and costs for riding bicycles with no lights, j DRUNKENNESS, j George Ewing Garland was fined 4Rs and ; John Pringle 20s for drunkenness, tfie default being forty-eight kiuxs’.imprisnffiiiait jp pack