THEFT OF POTATOES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20625, 5 August 1941, Page 4

THEFT OF POTATOES

HOTEL’S STOCK TAKEN OFFENCES IN DAYLIGHT A mystery concerning the large-scale disappearance of potatoes from a hotel store-room in_ Gisborne was solved to-day when a 38-year-old lorry driver, Edward Knox, appeared before Mr. E. L, Walton. S.M.. in the Police Court and admitted having stolen on July 17 and divers dates between July 17 and July 2!) 14 bags of potatoes valued at £l4, the property of George Graham. Knox, who was represented by Mr. J. S. Wauchop, was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon within two years, a condition being that he remained in (work that was approved of by the police. He was ordered to make restitution amounting to £l4. Detective-Sergeant R. 11. Waterson said that the Albion Hotel had had a stock of two tons of potatoes, and it was noticed that on July 30 there was only one bag left. The proprietor, Graham, had missed 19 to 21 bags. The police discovered that Knox had been selling potatoes to fish and fruit shops in Gisborne. Knox had admitted, said Mr. Waterson. that he engaged a carrier at about 3 run. and used to get him to back his vehicle on to the store-room while Knox lifted the sacks of potatoes on to it, It was the impudence of. the theft that had enabled him to get away with it. The probable reason that he had been able tc. do it without too much suspicion was that Graham had taken pity on him when he was out of work and had given him odd jobs to do about the hotel. In recent months Knox had been mixing with undesirable company and drinking excessively in hotels.

Mr. W’auchop said that his client was a married man with two children, and had been out of steady" work since January. He had been ill and the temptation had proved too much for him. Mr. Wauchop made a plea for leniency and for the suppression of the accused’s name because of an illness in the family and for the sake of his children.

“When any offender comes before the court the relatives probably have to bear more shame and distress than the offender,’’ said Mr. Walton in refusing the application for suppression. "It is no good appealing to the court to think of your wife and children if you do not do it yourself.”