COURTS AND OFFENCES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 11 August 1928, Page 6

COURTS AND OFFENCES.

A POSTMAN’S LAPSE. (By Telegrapn —Pres? Association.) INVERCAIICILL, Aug. 10 Ralph Swan, aged twenty-three, pleaded guilty to the theft of two letters containing small sums, and to wiliully detaining a number of postal packets from the Mataura Post Office. He was committed to th© Supreme Court mr sentence. The accused who was employed as a postman, isaid that he was too lazy and careless to deliver the mails.

CHARGES DISMISSED

WELLINGTON, Aug. 10

The Magistrate, Mr. Page, in a reserved judgment, dismissed the charges of -stealing records and receiving electrical fittings- prefererd against Sidney Frederick William Vau.se. The defendant was head of the gramophone department of his firm’s- business and was authorised to give away for the purposes of the firm’s business such records as he thought fit'. To constitute the.t, the goods must be taken without colour of right. In regard to electrical apparatus, the evidence showed that for many years the defendant. who was the only one in the firm’s employ possessing technical knowledge on the point, had made a practice, with the knowledge of his employers, of taking home and testing appliances, whether of his own firm or other firms with which he did business. The Magistrate -said that he was not satisfied that the defendant’s action in receiving the goods was other than honest.

THEFT OF COOLS. WELLINGTON. Aug. 10. Three men named Charles Edvard Anderson. John James Clayton, and -Tames William Broderick were charged bo-da-y with the theft of overcoats, hats scarf and other goods to the value of £2B Is 6d from cars, also breaking a car window valued at £2. Clay ton. w-as also ohai'ged with receiving a nickle watch and Anderson with the theft of a travelling' rug, overcoat and alairm clock valued a,t £6 12-s 6d.

The police stated that there was a considerable amount of this sort of theft reported. Broderick appeared to be the leader in the cases preferred and Cll-nvton the least concerned. Anderson and Broderick each got twelve months imprisonment and Clayton nine months.