PILLAGED GOODS: MAN SENTENCED ON ELEVEN CHARGES

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 October 1947, Page 3

PILLAGED GOODS: MAN SENTENCED ON ELEVEN CHARGES

(P.A.) AUCKLAND, This Day. “It has been repeatedly said by myself and other judges that if you could stop receivers you would go a long way towards stopping pillaging’, and now w‘e have the receiver before us,” said Mr Justice Callan, when sentencing Felix Albert John Judd, clothing foreman, aged 33, on 11 charges of receiving stolen property. His Honor said the facts were very grave indeed and meant that prisoner had practically gone into business as a professional receiver of pillaged goods. Counsel for the defence said prisoner had been a little too ambitious in entering into the soft goods business on his own account, and he was always short of material and short of money. He had succuinbed to the temptation to sell goods . that had come from the wharves. His mental background was somewhat explained by harsh treatment he had received in the Army.

Representing the Crown, Mr A. S. Cleal said that pillaging from the wharves was increasing to an alarming extent. The New Zealand Shipping Company alone dui’ing the last six months, had paid out claims of £16,000, and even that did not fully represent the amount of losses. Prisoner had admitted receiving pillaged clothing and furnishing materials to the value of £2636 from waterside workers and seamen, and '‘sold them under the guise of a manufacturers representative. His Honor said the law took a very grave view of the professional receiver, and if one had previous convictions for dishonesty, he was liable to imprisonment for life. It appeared that prisoner had been a good son and had been helpful to the police. He would be ordered to be detained for reformative purposes for two years and six months.