THEFT CHARGES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22318, 1 May 1947, Page 4

THEFT CHARGES

CONVERSION OF CAR YOUNG MAN’S RECORD Facing five charges of theft of clothing and various articles and the conversion of a motor car valued at £2OO, a 22 year old Maori labourer, residing at Matawhcro, James Mahaki Brown, appeared in the Gisborne Magistrate’s Court yesterday, and on pleading guilty was sentenced to a total of nine months’ imprisonment by Mr. E. L. Walton, S.M. Detective Sergeant R. H. Waterson, who m'osecutcd for the police, stated that Brown had been away from the district for some years, but returned two or three weeks ago, and had then led a life of crime. Last Thursday a car belonging to Mr. Charles McGrannachan'was taken from Grey street and was later seen at Manutuke, driven by the accused. Brown had then been arrested by Constable Allen. Later a search was made of Brown's room at Matawhcro and it was found to contain a considerable amount of property which had been stolen from Auckland and Gisborne. The total value of the Gisborne property, which was taken from Ayton House, various motor cars and wash-houses at Makaraka, was £SB 9s Gd. Included amongst the stolen articles were face towels, a ladies’ frock, a pair of ladies' shoes, a pair of ladies’ silk stockings, a pair of child's mittens, a man’s overcoat, an attache case containing books, pencils and a fountain pen, four tennis racquets, two dust coats, two table cloths and a number of smaller items. Brown appeared to be a persistent thief and was building up quite a record, concluded the detective sergeant. In sentencing Brown to one month’s imprisonment for the car conversion, and two month’s imprisonment on each of four of the theft charges, the sentences to be cumulative, the magistrate remarked that since 1944 Brown had apparently been in Borstal or in detention.