POLICE MISLED

Evening Star, Issue 23270, 19 May 1939, Page 2

POLICE MISLED

STORY ABOUT STOLEN CAR DRIVER'S COSTLY RUSE "The work of the police is difficult enough without false information being given them,” Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., pointed out, in the Police Court this morning when substantially fining Gordon Hare for making a false statement to the police. The Magistrate added that.this was a serious offence, but it did not merit a term of 1 imprisonment. There , was. no appearance of Hare, who wrote pleading guilty. Detective-sergeant Hall said that on May 7 the defendant was at a dance at East Taieri. Evidently he had several drinks, andl decided to come into Dunedin with a companion and have supper at the pie cart. Near Green Island a traffic inspector noticed that the car was being driven erratically, and immediately he stopped the car. Both Hare and his companion disappeared into the undergrowth. They then walked to Dunedin, and hired a taxi, so that they could recover the car, which, however, had been removed in the meantime. The following day Hare told Constable Phillips, of Mosgiel, that the car had been stolen, and later, in a written statement to Detective M'Dougall, told the same story. , Inquiries were made by the police, and the defendant admitted then that be had become frightened when the traffic inspector approached because he had taken liquor. He therefore bolted. Mr Hall commented that it was a serioua matter when the police had to look about for alleged thieves. The defendant and his companion bad evidently committed the offence to serve their own ends. ' ' n Hare was fined £6 and costs (12s;.