Seamen Face Breaking, And Entering Charge: Kaikohe Fire Sequel

Northern Advocate, 19 December 1945, Page 6

Seamen Face Breaking, And Entering Charge: Kaikohe Fire Sequel

(Special.)

. Pleading not guilty, two young men. described by the police as deserting seamen from an English ship, were committed for trial at the Supreme Court, Auckland, in February, on charges of having broken and entered the warehouse of Matthew O’Leary, at Kaikohe, on the night of November 2930.. The warehouse and its contents were virtually destroyed by fire on that night. The two accused, Richard Alban Lafferty, 20, and Frederick Bradley, 22, who signed on for the voyage to New Zealand at Liverpool, had been living at a farmhouse about miles from Kaikohe, along the Mangakahia road.

Accused asked for bail and were each offered release on terms of £IOO in his own recognisance and £2OO surety. Messrs. J. J. Bedggood and J. G. Ritchie, J.sP., were on the Bench. Detective E. W. Mahood, of Whangarci, prosecuted. First witness was Matthew O’Leary, auctioneer, of Kaikohe, who stated that he had left his premises locked at about 5.15 That evening. A pianoaccordeon, now produced by the police in court, was in the warehouse at that time. It had been left for sale on commission. Early next morning he was informed that his auction mart was on fire and had arrived to find it practically destroyed, only the shell being left. Contents were insured for £259 on stock and fittings only, but £650 worth of property was in the building, £2OO of this being vendors’ goods. About £SO worth of property', he estimated, might be salvaged. MISSING AFTER THE FIRE An alarm clock, painted yellow and out of order', had stood on a shelf in the office, but this, together with the piano-accordeon and a case of wine from the storeroom, were missing after the fire. No parts of the accordeon or clock were located among the debris. Ruth Agnes Hansen, married woman, of Mangakahia road, Kaikohe, deposed that both the accused had stayed at her home from August 27 until they had been arrested by the police. On the night of the fire they had left to go to the pictures in Kaikohe. She did not remember them coming home, but they were in, bed when she x’ose early next morning. That day they did not go to work, but went into Kaikohe about lunchtime, coming home at about 6 p.m. On December 1 they again went into Kaikohe and returned when it was dark and raining.

Accused Bradley had told witness that there was a suitcase outside and she had brought it in from the back door. Hearing the two boys moving around in' their bedroom at about 3.30 a.m. next morning, she had looked into their room when she arose later. Both were then asleep, but she noticed the opened case with the accordeon in it. It was the one now in court. BOUGHT IT FROM A MAORI When she asked Bradley where he had got the accordeon in the morning, he had said he bought it from a Maori for £9. He had no receipt for it, he told her. Later the same day she had noticed a yellowish clock iri the boys’ room. They told her they had been given it by a barman. Both tried to mend the clock, which-was not in order.

On December 4. , Constable J. F. Frain, of Kaikohe, had visited the home and had taken possession of the piano-accordeon. After his visit the clock went missing and had not been seen since. Three days after this visit, both accused were brought to the house by Sergeant Sargent and Detective Mahood. Bradley had then denied all knowledge of a clock when witness had mentioned it to him. He said he had never had a clock. After this visit, witness and her daughter had

KAIKOHE, This Day

a conversation with the accused, in which they had-said that if they said anything they may get someone else three years. Evidence of ownership of the pianoaccordeon was given by Leslie Judith Prentice, hairdresser, of Kerikeri. She said it had been left at O’Leary's mart for sale on a commission basis, subject to. a reserve. SEEN IN TOWN THAT NIGHT William Marshall Wilkinson, grocer, of Kaikohe, stated that he had seen the two accused at 11.10 p.m., standing against a corner doorway near the public telephone box and taxi stand, from nine to 10 chains from O'Leary’s mart. He had recognised the men, who had often been in his shop. Irene Mary Hansen, domestic, daughter of Mrs Hansen, said that, on her return on December 3. after an absence, she had gone into the boys’ room to see the accordeon. It was the one now in court. She had then noticed a creamy-yellowish clock. Neither article had been in the room when she had left the house on November 11. The next day, Constable Frain took possession of the piano-accordeon. The clock was not seen again. Witness' was present when the two accused had later denied to Sergeant Sargent and Detective Mahood that they had ever had a clock, and also later, when they had told her mother and hei'self that they had acquired the piano-accordeon from a married man with three children. He would get three years if they said anything. “HAVE YOU HIDDEN IT?” Next morning, December 8, witness said she saw the accused Bradley walk round the house two or three times, then through the garden and outside the fence. He walked up and down the fence about twice, then bent down and picked up something, which he put in his shirt. Later she had seen him returning from the paddock. When he returned to the house she thought she heard Lafferty ask Bradley if he had hidden it and Bradlev reply “Yes.”

Constable Frain, in the witnessstand, outlined events during and after the fire. Accused Bradley had told him he did not know the Maori who had sold him the piano-accordeon in the hotel bar, but thought he would recognise him again. Extensive inquiries had failed to reveal any sign of a Maoi’i with a suitcase that day. Sergeant Sargent, in evidence, said that while a thorough search of the fire debris in the auction mart office had resulted in recovery of other small articles that had been on the same shelf with the clock, neither clock nor any trace of it was located. WIIANGAREI DETECTIVE UP Detective Mahood said he had come to Kaikohe on December 7. He detailed inquiries made and interviews with the accused. When the accused had told him that they had seen nothing of the Maori who had sold them the piano-accordeon. he had told them that the best thing they could do would be to get busy and make some inquiries to locate him.

Inquiries at the hotel bar had failed to reveal any barman who had given the accused a clock.

Accused asked few questions of the police witnesses and entered their plea of not guilty. Cn being committed for trial, they asked for bail. In opposing bail Detective Mahood told the court: “They are deserters off a boat and are birds of passage. They are unknown to us, and if bail is granted I would ask that it be made substantial.” After the court had offered terms of bail to the accused, telling them that they would have to report regularly to the police, one of them stated: “We will report to the police, sir, as often as you like.”