POLICE COURT

Evening Star, Issue 21823, 12 September 1934, Page 1

POLICE COURT

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12. (Before Mr J, R. Bartholomew, S.M.)' THEFT OP IRON. A young man whose name was suppressed in the meantime was charged with stealing an electric iron, valued at £2. He was represented by Mr L. : R. Simpson. Chief-detective Young asked for a remand for a week. He understood that’ the ■ charge would be admitted, bub there were further inquiries to be made,' a large quantity -of material, being found ,in the possession of the accused, , The remand was granted, bail being allowed in self of £25 and one surety of £25. The Magistrate directed that a report should .be submitted by the probation officer. MISSING COAT AND VEST. Eric William Freeman (21), pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing a coat and vest valued at £4 ss, the property of Dr Eudey. The Chief Detective said that Free- 1 man had been employed by the firm of Blyth and Roberts, dry cleaners. There was a branch shop in Broadway, the accused being ,in charge there. In July a suit, was received from .Dr Eudey for cleaning and was passed on to the Broadway shop. Subsequently it was discovered , that the coat and vest were missing. Inquiries- were made and suspicion later turned dn the accused, whrf then admitted the offence. The clothing had been. recovered and was in good order. The* whole affair seemed rather inexplicable, as the accused made no attempt to disguise, the coat or vest, the identification tickets and numbers being left on both articles.Freeman was at present on probation for theft. The Magistrate: No use was made-of. the stolen articles? , . The Chief-detective: He - wore the coat and vest, telling his parents, that they had been given to him by one of the partners of the firm. The Magistrate; I would pfefer some further information about the accused before dealing with him. He will be remanded in custody for one week. COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. Robert Kirkness alias Jackson (42)' was charged with breaking and entering the house ■ of Michael Costello at Otokia, and stealing, jewellery, a pair of shoes, a bicycle pump,-/and other articles of a total value of £l3 18s 9d.Kirkness was also charged with stealing a blow lamp and pipe spanner (25s)' from' Lednard Rqbert M'Nally, Of Ashburton; and -a spirit lamp (30s). from Louis Edyvean,' of Timaru. .. Mrs Costello said that her husband had a; farm adjoining the InvercafgilU Dunediu main highway. On July 25 she and her husband and daughter came to Dunedin, ,u 'son, Lindsay. Costello, being the only one left at .lionje. The latter was working about the farm.. They returned about 5.30 , p,ib., and found that the house had been broken into and a .of articles stolen. The jewellery had been taken from »’ small box in her bedroom. ' ; V William Lindsay Costello, the youth, who was working about the farm," said that he left the house about 12.30 p.m. to go some distance away. He left the doors and windows shut, but the back door was - not locked. This : door was still closed-at 3.45 p.m., when he returned. Witness i later;, discovered that a pair of trousers,- a pair of shoes,- and a bicycle pump, also belonging to him, together with several . other articles owned by his parents had been stolen. ■Michael David Costello, another son,also identified articles belonging to the house. . ' Mary Rebecca White, housemaid at the Henley Hotel, stated that the accused stayed at the hotel on the nights of July 23 and’24. He left on a bicycle the next and proceeded Ntowards_ Dunedin, which was - also in the direction of the Costello farm. Detective Taylor said that he interviewed the accused on August 27 and the' latter denied that he : had any. knowledge of the-thefts from the Costello place. Among his, effects was a piece of greenstone which he said he got from a person in the North Island. On the following day Mrs Costello identified the greenstone as her property, , but he still maintained his innocence saying on this occasion-that he got the greenstone from a man staying at the Henley Hotel. The shoes and the bicycle pump' were also among hi* effects. He. said that he bought'the shoes in Timaru and that the pump was on his bicycle when he bought it.Kirkness pleaded not guilty and wa* committed to the Supreme Court for trial. On the simple theft charges he was remanded to appear at Timaru on Tuesday next.