Theft of Gas

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 39, 16 February 1938, Page 2

Theft of Gas

From Our Own Correspondent. HASTINGS, Feb. 15. Described by the police as a man of undesirable type, one who would not meet hi 3 financial obligations and possessing a criminal history dating back to 1932, which embodied offences of dishonesty, Richard John Hay lock appeared before Mr J. Miller, S.M., at the Hastings Magistrate’s Court this morning on a charge of stealing gas to the value of 15/- from the Napier Gas Company. Detective-Sergeant L. Revell said that a company representative called at the flat which had been taken over in October last by the defendant and found that a stove had been connected to an intake pipe. The defendant admitted that he had made the connection, and it was on his own statements that the amount of gas consumed was assessed. The Magistrate pointed out that with the list of previous convictions the offence became more serious. The fact that the charge was made under a very old private Act which did not provide for imprisonment was fortunate for the defendant, who was fined £3 and ordered to refund 15/- to the gas con\nanv.