Tyres, Battery Taken From Converted Truck

Northern Advocate, 23 August 1943, Page 5

Tyres, Battery Taken From Converted Truck

■ Five tyres and a battery were^ lost to the Government as a result of Samuel Akerama Davis, 21. a soldier, converting to his own use a motor-van valued at £2OO. the property of the Government, Detective-Sergeant J. B. Finlay told the magistrate (Mr. Raymond” Fernen in the Whangarei Court today when Davis admitted this charge, lie pleaded not guilty to a charge of stealing two blankets, valued at £1 18. G. also ihe property of the Government. Detective G. S. Miller said that he had gone to Davis' home at Poroti and had been handed two army blankets by Davis' mother. Interviewed. Davis had made a statement that he had six blankets and as only four were on issue to him he thought it a good opportunity for having two for himself after the vvar. In the same statement he had said he had intended taking them back to camp. Truck A band one tl Giving evidence on bis own behall Davis said he had stolen the blankets l,iit haul not stolen from another soldier. which he had thought was the charge. In Whangarei Davis had taken a truck from . the street and driven to puroti and had Hum taken a party to Early's Beach. Dargavillc, to get toheroas. The truck had broken down at Poroti after the return had been made and Davis had abandoned it. It had been left at the roadside for about H) days and during that time somebody had removed all the tyres and the battery. Although the police thought Davis as innocent of this offence his action in taking the truck had resulted in the five tyres and the battery being lost to tho Government. Davis had not been in trouble previously but his army record was not good. Davis was sentenced to three months' imprisonment on the convevrion charge and convicted and discharged on the other.