JEWELLERY STOLEN

Feilding Star, Volume 7, Issue 2305, 7 September 1929, Page 5

JEWELLERY STOLEN

THE THEFT ADMITTED AN APITI EPISODE BACK DOOR LEFT UNLOCKED ACCUSED COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE A ease arising out of an incident at Apiti ivas beard before Messrs F. S. Cuy and Tt. Burne, Justices, at the Court this morning, when a young man named A 1 licit James Self, was charged as follows: On September 4, at 'Apjjti, lie did break and enter the dwelling house by day of James Dempster Aird, and commit theft of one gold wristlet watch one gold and opal ring, one aquamarine and pearl and diamond pendant two strings of pearls, and , one set of pearl! earrings, of a total value of £‘26 10s.

Sergt. Cahill informed ' the Court the accused had made, a statement admitting the offence. James Aird, storekeeper at Apfti; gave evidence that he and .his wife had left his home on Wednesday, locking the front door .hut not the hack door. They returned home about 7.30 p.m., and discovered that the furniture had been disturbed. Further investigation showed {that his wife’s jewellery to the value ol £26 10s had been stolen. The matter was reported to Constable, Ferguson at Kimbolton, and later the jewellery wati recovered. Air Guv (to witness): Ij; it your usual custom to go away and leave the door unlocked? Witness. Sometimes.

The wife® of the previous witness told a isimilar story. The jewellery she said, was left on the dressing table. A,si soon a» tile theft wnP discovered the police were informed, ■ arid that night Constable Ferguson took hack the pendant, which she recognised as part of the missing jewellery, and later she was shown the remainder of the missing property, except a silver-backed mirror worth about. lGv and one earring. Constable Ferguson stated that on the theft being reported to him he went to Apiti at 8.30 that night and saw the accused. He questioned Self closely,, examined life bedroom nn. Self’s presence, and found a lady’s thimble in Self’s pocket and then underneath' the 'bed. ho found some of the mitring jewellery. After he had got Airs Aird to identify the jewellery he arrested Self; Next day Self made a statement telling him where, the balance of the missing jewellery was to he found. Accused .made) a statement, which the Witness read.

Accused, in the. statement said he had been drinking that -day, and in tho afternoon He entered the dwelling house of Mr Aird by the hack door, Which was not locked, and had taken the jewelleiw an detailed. Accused admitted that the jewellery produced was that which ho had ntolen.

Self sat'd in answer to the charge that the theft was not premeditated A ecu ed pleaded guilty and was remanded to the. Supreme Court at Wellington for sentence. CYCLING WITHOUT .LIGHTS Self pleaded guilty to the charge of cycling at night without lights, in Folding, and was fined IDs.