BREAKING AND ENTERING

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVIII, Issue 141, 29 May 1928, Page 5

BREAKING AND ENTERING

LAPSES OF A MAORI BOY, COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE. At the Hastings Courthouse this morning, before Messrs G Land and A. A. George, J.’sP., Jack' Punakai, aged 17, appeared charged with (1) on May 11. breaking and entering the Hastings branch of the Hawke’s Bay Fanners’ Co-operative Lion and stealing therefrom a wristlet watch, knife and sheath, compass, steel, magnifying glas s and shoes, valued at £5 0/6, the pronerty of the H.B Farmers; (2) on May 17. al Waipawa. breaking and entering Williams’ and Kettle’s branch and stealing goods valued at £3 15/-, the pi-operty of Williams and Kettle: and (3) on the same date, breaking and entering the premises of Winlove and Sons, at Waipawa, with intent 'to commit a crime. Detective Fitzgibbon conducted the prosecution. The accused was not represented. Joseph Charles Perry, goods manager for the Hawke's Bay Farmers’. Hastings, deposed to finding on the morning following the occurrence, the window off tho roof and evidence that the premises had been entered. The articles produced were the property of the Hawke’s Bay Farmers’.

Frank Tickner. manager of Williams and Kettle at Waipawa. said that he closed up as usual at. 6 o’clock and at about 11 p.m he revisited the premises with the police. He found that a window at the back had been broken, making a clearance big enough for a person to enter. He identified the miscellaneous collection of goods as being the property of Williams and Kettle, saying that thev had been taken from the store. Thomas W Fox. manager for Winlove and Sons, deposed to the premises having been entered. He closed up as usual but as. a result of a telephone call, he visited the premises at 10.40 p.m., accompanied by the police. He could not open the door, because it had been bolted from the inside. It was not the practice to bolt the door. He had to cut his wav in through the back door, and he found the accused hiding behind to door. The accused had broken the window at the. back and entered the building. As far as he could see, nothing had been taken. CONSTABLE’S EVIDENCE. Constable O’Halloran, of Waipawa. deposed that, in -consequence of information received, he visited Winlove’s at 10 p.m, and found the property identified by Mr. Tickner in a shed. Witness communicated with Mr. Fox and they got into the building, where they found the accused. Witness said, “Oh. that’s vou. is it?” The accused replied, “Yes. 1 congratulate you on catching me; I deserve all I will get.” The accused was arrested. He admitted having taken the other goods found in the shed, saying that he had broken. into Williams and Kettle. He also claimed the shoes found outside as his. Detective Fitzgibbon apposed that on May 12 be had interviewed the accused and asked him what he knew about the Hawke’s Bay Farmers’ job and he made a voluntary signed statement.

The accused in his statement, said he had been working for a Mr King at Wairoa and ho left on account of a row with his empoyer. He got a ride to Napier and next day walked to Hastings. Af. night he climbed on to the Hawke’s Bay Farmers’ roof, broke the glass in a window and entered. He tried the till but was unable to open it. He walked to To Hauke and thence to Waipawa. where he was arrested. He admitted the thefts.

Tho accused pleaded guilty to all charges and was committed for sentence to the next sittings of the Suprems CJvurt at Napigr,