THEFT OF BEARINGS

Manawatu Herald, Volume LV, Issue 4491, 14 May 1935, Page 3

THEFT OF BEARINGS

ACCUSED FOUND GUILTY,

A verdict of guilty was returned by the jury after 20 minutes’ retirement in a case heard in the Palmerston North Supreme Court yesterday, in which Keith Elford Craig, metal dealer, aged 33 years, Wellington, stood trial on a charge of the theft of bronze bearings valued at £2O from a suction engine, the property of George Craw, of Linton. Prisoner was remanded till to-morrow for sentence. On a second count of receiving the bearings, knowing them to have, been dishonestly obtained, the jury brought in a verdict of not guilty.

This case . was adjourned last Tuesday to give accused the opportunity of presenting his defence properly, witnesses being brought to court at the expense of the Crown. Mr Justice Smith was on the Bench. The case for the prosecution was conducted, by Mr H. R. Cooper. Evidence concerning arrangements entered into with accused with' regard to the sale of scrap metal and the breaking up of disused; flaxmill machinery, including a large suction engine, was given by George Craw, ‘farmer, of Linton, and his son, Loyal Craw. Craw, senr., said he had gone down to the engine room on the day accused started to break the engine up and warned him that he wished to retain certain bearings. Subsequently it was discovered that these parts had disappeared. Accused, who was not represented by counsel, called four witness-' es, but did not go into the box himself. The defence was that accused had commenced breaking up the engine on October 23 last, before Craw, senr., returned home. After his trial on the Linton charges, Craig was arraigned on the charge of obtaining from Blake and Strawbridge at Feilding on November 8 last, with intent to defraud, certain scrap metal of the value of £6 18/2 by falsely representing that he was acting for Brown and Durreau, metal brokers, Wellington. On the direction of his Honour, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty.

Addressing the jury, his Honour said that on the evidence it was quite plain that the metal w r as weighed and in a deliverable state before accused mentioned the name of the firm of Brown and Durreau.