CONVERSION OF HORSE

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 December 1944, Page 6

CONVERSION OF HORSE

SUSPENDED SENTENCE. At a special sitting of the Magistrate’s Court at the Greymouth Police Station, this morning, before Messrs W. H. Parfitt and E. Stratford, J’sP., Connors Johnston Smith, a labourer of Greymouth, was charged that at Coal Creek on December 24, 1944, he did unlawfully convert to his own use one horse, valued at £2O, the property of James Steel. Defendant pleaded not guilty. Senior Sergeant G. H. L. Holt conducted the prosecution. , Arthur Joseph Carson, manager of Riversdale Dairy Supplies, Coal Creek, said that he was in lawful possession of a blood horse which was owned by James Steel. He had had possession of the horse for eight months. On December 24 the horse vanished. He interviewed Steel who said that no-one had authority to take the horse from the Riversdale property. , 2 Constable H. Cloak said that as a result of a complaint he interviewed defendant, yesterday, and found him in possession of ®the horse. Defendant first said that the horse was his own, but later said that it was owned by Steel and that he had taken it from the Riversdale property. Senior Sergeant Holt said that he interviewed Steel who said that the only person authorised to have possession of the horse was Carson. Defendant was married, but was separated from his wife. Until a few months ago he had been a man of substance, but had had a physical breakdown, and now he was not very strong mentally. Defendant said that he had borrowed the horse eight months ago. Defendant was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon within six months.