SHEEP STEALING ALLEGED

Evening Star, Issue 22336, 12 May 1936, Page 5

SHEEP STEALING ALLEGED

FATHER AND SON CHARGED EVIDENCE FOR PROSECUTION Hearing was commenced in the Supreme Court yesterday afternoon of charges of sheep stealing against Alexander William Robinson and John William Robinson, father ami son. Before His Honour Air Justice Kennedy and a jury the accused were charged with having, on January 27, stolen 73 lambs, valued at £163 6s, the property of Robert Loclibead. They wore further charged: That they received the lambs from some person or persons unknown, well knowing them to have been dishonestly obtained; that they conspired to defraud sonic person or persons then unknown by a letter to Messrs I’yiic, Gould, and Guinness, representing that John Robinson was entitled to sell the Jambs; that they obtained by a false pretence from Messrs Dyne, Gould, and Guinness a cheque for £56 11s 6d, on the pretext that John Robinson was entitled to sell 73 lambs consigned to Addington. The cider Robinson was charged with having received from John William Robinson 73 lambs, well knowing them to have been dishonestly obtained, and John Robinson with having, with intent to defraud, obtained goods valued at 14s 9d and £65 15s 3d in money on the pretext that he had a good title to a cheque for £56 11s 6d drawn by Pyne, Gould, and Guinness.

Mr G. T. Bayleo appeared for the elder Robinson and Mr W. H. Carson for tho sou. Both of the accused pleaded not guilty to all the charges. The Crown Prosecutor (Mr F. B. Adams) conducted tho prosecution. The Crown Prosecutor, in opening the case, said that tho lambs which were stud animals, were the property of a man named Lochhead, and had been grazing in a paddock belonging to a Mr Wilson, which was not far from the main road from Stirling to Balclutha. Evidence would bo given that a mob of lambs had been seen being driven towards Lovell’s Flat early on tho morning of January 28, and also that they had been despatched by rail for tho north from that station. It appeared that the crime had been carefully premeditated, as some time before the lambs were taken a letter signed by John Bobinson had been received by Messrs Pyne, Gould, and Guinness stating that he had for sale a line of two-tooth ewes. At that time he had, in fact, no sheep, so that it would seem that the plan to steal someone else’s lambs had been framed some time before. This letter, as it transpired, had not been written by John Robinson, but by the father. The lambs were eventually sold by Pyne, Gould, and Guinness, and were later identified by Lochhead. In the meantime a cheque had been forwarded by Pyne, Gould, and Guinness, and this was later cashed at the shop of Messrs James Gray and Son, Mitton.

Robert Lochhead, farmer, Balclutha, said that in January he sent about 200 lambs to graze on a property belonging to Mr George Wilson, of Stirling. On visiting Mr Wilson’s farm on' January 29, as a result of something lie was told, witness, in company with Mr Wilson and Mr Wilson’s brother, counted tho lambs and found that there were 74 short. He did not think it was possible that they could have got out by themselves as tho fences were in good order and the gates securely closed. The loss was then reported to the police. Some time later witness visited two farms in Canterbury, where ho identified 72 lambs as belonging to him, and which ho knew were the ones which had been missed from Stirling. He knew Robinson sen. by sight, but he did not know either of the accused personally, and neither of them had any authority to remove tho lambs.

To Mr Carson: Tho special marks on tho lambs made them easily recognisable, even in Canterbury.

George Wilson, a farmer, of Stirling, said that his property was about three miles from Stirling on the main road to Kaitangata. In January 200 lambs were placed in one of in's paddocks by the witness Lochhead, but there was no gate lending from this paddock on to the main road. When he discovered that some of the lambf were missing, he examined the fences and gates and found them to be in good order, with the exception that the top wire of one of the gates was missing. Francis Patrick Brown, railway clerk, Lovell’s Flat, said that on January 27 the younger accused came into the office and ordered a sheep wagon For the next day for Addington. Witness told him it would be ready about 1.0 o’clock the next morning. The younger accused arrived at about 10 with a mob of sheep—witness would say they were lambs. They were driven into the wagon, and the accused said he wanted to consign the sheep to Messrs Pyne, Gould, and Guinness, at Addington. Witness filled in the consignment note and accused signed it. It was made out for 73 lambs. Witness asked why the lambs were being sent so far away, and he replied that that was where they had to go. Accused said he was going to Pounawea. Asked where the lambs came from, accused said: *' Down about the lake.”

Andrew Lawson Hood, residing at Lakeside, Kaitangata, recalled having, at 5.30 on the morning of January 28, seen the accused driving some sheep towards Lovell’s Flat. Oliver Gray t a fanner, of Lovell’s Flat, who resides about a mile from the Lovell’s Flat railway station, gave evidence that about 5.45 on the morning «f January 28 he had seen a man driving a mob of lambs towards Lovell’s Flat. He identified the accused as the man lie bad seen. He helped the man to put them in a paddock, and asked him if they wore Hodge’s lambs, to which the man replied in the affirmative. Some of the lambs were Border Leicesters and the others Romneys. William Henry Fenner, chief clerk in the Christchurch office of I’yno, Gould, and Guinness, gave evidence of having, early in January, received a communication from Kaitangata, signed by J. Robinson, stating that he had six trucks of two-tooth owes for sale, and asking the state of the market. A reply was sent advising that it was a little early for a favourable market, hut on January 28 further notification was received from J. Robinson that ho had railed a truck of lambs and giving instructions for their sale. Seventy-three lambs wore sold, and a cheque for £56 11s fid, made payable to the order of J. Robinson, was forwarded, Payment of this cheque, however, was stopped later. From the letters 1m had received, witness had formed the opinion that ho was selling lambs belonging to J. Robinson. George Dennis Coekerill, a draper’s assistau l in the employ of Messrs James Gray and Sons, Milton, said that on the morning of February 4,

John Robinson h:ul come to his department and bought goods to the value of 14s 9d, tendering a cheque for £oC> 11s (3d in payment. He was given .-Coo tos 3d in change. At this stage the court adjourned till this morning.