ARSON CHARGE

Grey River Argus, 20 March 1940, Page 3

ARSON CHARGE

CHRISTCHURCH March 19. Herbert Alexander ’Mackrell, a clerk, aged 20, pleaded guilty in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday to charges of arson and theft and he was committed for sentence to the Supreme Court. The arson charge concerned the building known as Church House, at 173 Cashel Street, the property of the Church Property Trustees. The theft charge related to a sum of £63 ss, also belonging to the Church Property Trustees. The offences were committed -on March 1.

Mr. E. C. Levvey, S.M., was on the Bench. Detective-Sergeant J. McClung prosecuted and Mr. C. V. Quigley appeared for the accused.

The detective sergeant said the evidence would show the money was stolen and that the arson was committed to cover up the theft.

Leslie William Broadhead, church steward, said the accused had been employed by the Church Property Trustees as a junior clerk. While in this position he had a number of keys, including one to the strongroom. On the night of March 1, witness was the last to leave the premises and everything appeared to be in order. At 7 o’clock the following morning, witness went to the office and found kerosene had been poured on the floor in several parts ot the building—on the first floor in the passageway, in the lavatory, and on the floor of the board-room. Some pieces of paper had been burnt on the floor there and also in the strongroom. The cashier discovered _ that money was missing from the inner safe in 'fhe strong-room. The damage caused by the burning would amount only to about £2 10s.

To Mr. Quigley, witness could offer no explanation for the boy’s actions. He had been working for three years for the Church Property Trustees and had been doing a great deal of work for outside organisations. Joseph Dann, caretaker for the Church Property Trustees, said he arrived at the premises about 6.45 a.m. and found the back door ajar. Part of a tin of kerosene was missing from a cupboard. Kerosene had been spilt on three places in the boardroom.

To Mr. Quigley: The whole attempt looked very amateurish. Detective M. R. Stewart gave evidence of interviewing the accused. The latter admitted returning to the building to get some money which he knew to be in the safe and having set fire to the building to hide evidence of the theft. In his statement to the police, Mackrell said he wanted the money to give -to his mother as he knew the mortgage on her’ house was due.

To Mr. Quigley, witness said the accused, in conversation, . said ,„he made sure all fires were out before he left the building. . Mr. Quigley submitted, the arson charge, bn the evidence, could .qriite properly be reduced to attempted arson. .. ...... ....

The. Magistrate..said such ~a, re.duption would not ; affe.pt. His; jurisdiction. Necessary representations to this point , could be made to the Supreme Court. .. ~,.t Bail was renewed.