GAOL FOR PILLAGING

Evening Star, Issue 25169, 8 May 1944, Page 4

GAOL FOR PILLAGING

WATERSIDE WORKER'S THEFTS

GRAVITY OF OFFENCES STRESSED " His wages on the waterfront in Dunedin last year were £551," commented Chief-detective E. T. Holmes when Henry Harry Dawes, aged Gl years, admitted in the Police Court today two charges of pillaging cargo from coastal vessels unloading at this port. Dawes, who had an unblemished record of 32 years as a waterside worker, was sentenced by Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., to 14 days' imprisonment on ~a charge of stealing 24 tablets of soap, valued at 17s 3sd, and for the theft of a woman's gaberdine raincoat and 12|yds of cretonne curtain material, of a total vulue of £7 3s 4d, he was fined £2O, in default two months' imprisonment. Cargo broaching at any time was a serious offence, but when material was rationed during war acute inconvenience was caused to shippers', said Mr Holmes, outlining the charges against Dawes, who, he said, had been working on the Dunedin waterfront for nine years. On -December 9 of last year two cartons of soap valued at £8 13s id were short-loaded off the Waipiata. On March 10 10 gaberdine overcoats valued at £37 7s 6d and a quantity of curtain material valued at £42 16e lid were short-loaded off the Waiana. Following inquiries made by the police, Detective Evans interviewed the accused, and at his home the stolen soap was found. He told the detective that the coat had' been given to him by a friendoat an hotel, but he later admitted having taken it off the Waiana. The curtains at his house were of cretonne material, and he also said he had stolen this class of goods. Dawes had not been before the court previously. Sentencing the accused, the Magistrate said that the thefts committed by him had not been isolated ones, as they were committed on two separate dates. Though his counsel (Mr O. G. Stevens) "had pleaded that a term of probation be extended, in view of Dawes's age and his previous good refiord, the gravity of his thefts ruled out that course. «