Kerikeri Orchardist Fined Over Story Of Poisoned Oranges

Northern Advocate, 15 September 1945, Page 4

Kerikeri Orchardist Fined Over Story Of Poisoned Oranges

(Special) KAIKOHE, This Day The story of the theft of poisoned oranges from Kerikeri which caused a brief scare wherever Kerikeri oranges are sold in New Zealand before*, being officially denied had a sequel in the Kaikohe Police Court yesterday, when Geoffrey Walker, 29, orchardist, of Kerikeri, appeared before Mr W. C. Harley, S.M. Accused was charged with having made a written statement to the police in which he alleged, contrary to fact and without a genuine belief in the accuracy of his statement, that a crime had been committed in the theft of a number of Granges which had been injected with a poisonous substance, nicotine sulphate. Accused pleaded not guilty.

Prosecuting, Detective-Sergeant J. B. Finlay read a statement signed by Walker in which he stated that approximately 80 busheis of oranges, which he valued at about £ 120, had been stolen, including some from four trees on which fruit had been injected experimentally from a hypodermic needle. Two gaps in the hakea hedge were mentioned as being the probable means of access used by the alleged thief or thieves into the orchard. Accused said he considered it possible that some of the fruit may have reached Auckland or other distant areas and been put on the market. Detective-Sergeant Finlay said that when Detective W. Mahood, of Whangarei, and Mr P. Everett, Department of Agriculture citrus instructor stationed at Kaikohe. had visited the orchard, accused had at first maintained his story of the theft of poisoned fruit. Finally, however, he had admitted verbally that the story of the injections was wrong and added that he had done it to secure better police investigation into thefts that he said had taken place. Accused interposed: “I object, Your Honor. I did not say that. The magistrate told him he could not object—he must listen to the evidence. Constable J. F. Frain, of Kaikohe, said he had visited the orchard .on August 14 with Sergeant H. Hedley, also of Kaikohe. Accused had told them that he had had a quantity of oranges which he estimated at about 80 cases stolen from his 3-acre plantation. He said also that, he had injected about 20 oranges on each of four trees with nicotine sulphate. Lupins Not Heavily Trampled

Witness said lupins were growing, thickly in the main but thinly in patches, over the orchard ground, yet there were no marks around the trees to show that the lupins had been trampled down except along three rows of trees on the far side, which accused had said had been picked by his wife and himself. “Accused showed me several branches from which he said fruit had been taken," said Constable Frain, “but in my opinion these stems were far too thin to carry fruit. Other stems carrying fruit were much thicker.” Witness added that, although he had been doubtful as to the whole story, he had been ultimately convinced by accused’s apparent sincerity and concern.

The constable was questioned at length by accused, who asked him whether the lupins might not reasonably have shown little trampling if they had been walked upon over a period, as he had stated when he first spoke of the alleged theft. His own truck, he stated, had been over a good part of the orange grove yet the lupins were not crushed down. He asked what orcharding experience was behind the constable’s statement about the fruit-growing stems. Witness said he had none, apart from that gained by possession of a few home-garden trees. Police Sergeant in Box Sergeant Hedley said in evidence that accused had told him that a 4oz bottle of nicotine sulphate had been used in injection of the oranges, which he said had taken place about two months previously. He had seemed greatly concerned that children might have been given some of the poisoned fruit. The lupins, which were about 2ft high, did not show as much trampling as might have been expected from the coming and going of thieves carrying the amount of fruit alleged to have been stolen. The sergeant, with Detective Mahood, Constable Frain and Mr Everett, had paid a second visit two days later, when Walker was still definite as to his story. He had pointed out a tree from which he said poisoned fruit had been stripped. On close examination, witness said he could not see that fruit in any quantity had ever been on the tree.

Accused asked the sergeant whether he did not say to him that nothing could be done to protect the public from the poisoned fruit until somebody was taken ill or went to hospital. Witness: Nothing of the sort. Accused: You have a short memory. Percy Everett. citrus instructor, stated that he had had 20 years' experience with the Department of Agriculture in citrus work and among other fruits. On August 16, with the police officers, he had visited the orchard and had examined closely four trees. On one of them he had found five stalks from which fruit appeared to have been removed inexpertly, on another four stalks and on the remaining two trees no such stalks.

From his observation of the lupins, he concluded that while a number of people had walked through them, apart from the vicinity of the four allegedly poisoned trees, there had been no extensive trampling. For 80 bushels, he would have expected extensive trampling. He was present when accused had said the oranges had been injected with nicotine sulphate and also later when he had admitted that the story was untrue. Accused asked a number of questions, to one of which witness admitted the possibility of the fruit having been stolen.

Detective Mahood described his impression of the lupins and of the stalks, which agreed with previous evidence. He had asked for the syringe with which the fruit had been injected, but accused said he had lost it a few days before. When asked from whom he procured it, he had said he had taken it when on service with the Navy. Detective Mahood stated that a warning against purchase of Kerikeri oranges had been broadcast over the air and published in the newspapers and, but for the intervention of V-J Day, it might have had a most serious effect on the safes of fruit from other growers in the district.

In questioning of the witness, accused contended that the broadcast warning to the public was not broad

enough—it should have applied not merely to Kerikeri oranges but to all New Zealand oranges. Walker asked whether witness was aware that two other orchards in * Kerikeri had been robbed within a month of his complaints to the police and that no report had been made to the police because the growers had said it would be useless. He claimed that fruit-robbing had gone on continually in the district and that the police did not give any protection. He recalled that witness had told him he would not be able to set man-traps, snares, etc. Witness admitted the police were the growers’ only protection against robbing of fruit. Sole witness called by defendant was his wife, who stated that she and her husband had arranged to inject about 20 oranges on each of four trees with nicotine sulphate as an experiment to control pests. She had told him she had done the injections about three weeks before the police were called in.

Cross-examined by Detective Finlay, she admitted the she had told her husband a lie “for his own good,” but contended that she would hardly tell a lie under oath on th ewitness-stand.

Asked if he had anything to say. accused began: “Speaking as a taxpayer and a returned naval officer ” but was interrupted by the magistrate, who told him he could not speak in Court in that capacity. Walker then said he had no more to say.

The magistrate told accused he had no doubt that his statement had been made to the police through indignation which he could readily understand, “but you can see that it was liable to make trouble and not get anybody anywhere,” he added. A9ccused interposed: 1 am charged with having made a statement that F did not myself believe, and I have shown that I did believe it." The magistrate: I don’t believe your wife's evidence. I hate to say it, but there it is. Accused: That's a hard thing to say. sir. The magistrate: Yes. it. is. From the body of the Court. Mrs Walker declared: You’re not a very good judge of character, your Honor! Walker was then fined £5. with costs £l/4/-. He asked for suppression of newspaper publication, but the magistrate told him that could not be done.