Feilding Magistrate's Court

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 196, 21 August 1935, Page 3

Feilding Magistrate's Court

FINED FOE. THEFT AT COLYTON. A fmo of £5 ia default 21 days’ imprisonment iu tho Auckland gaol was imposed on Gcorgo Edward Burns by Mr.'S.' M. Watson, S.M., at the Feiiding Magistrate’s Court yesterday, in connection with a charge of theft at Colyton. Tho facts of tko case according to the prosecution, which was conducted by Sergeant Angland, were that on November .8, 1933, tho accused, with John Archibald Fraser, was engaged on a potato digging contract at Colyton. They had met at Wellington and had agreed to go into tho business ot digging potatoes. A bank account was opened iu tho name of Fraser and everything proceeded satisfactorily until Fraser had occasion to go away leaving the accused behind. He left with the accused a chccpic with which to pay the store account. Later accused disappeared and when the matter was looked into it was found that the cheque for £ll 10s had been cashed by accused who had also taken a suit valued at £2 and a rug valued at £l. It was not until recently- at Marton that accused was recognised and arrested charged with tho theft. Accused denied tho allegations and in the course of his evidence said that the cheque ivas due to him as wages; that the suit ho had brought with him from Turakina and that, the rug had been purchased by him from a store in Palmerston North.

Tho Magistrate decided t:o accept the evidence of the prosecution and -.fined accused £5 in default 21 days’ imprisonment. Accused was also ordered to pay witnesses expenses 7.1 s Od. An order was mndo for the return of the stolen property to Fraser.

Other Cases. Diltou Sexton, for breaches of the Motor Vehicles Act, was lined 20s and 15s with 10s costs in each case for driving a motor-car iu Feiiding at night without any lights and without a taillight showing. For permitting stock to wander, Bobert Knox was fined 25s and costs .10 s.