Brothers Admit Beer Theft From Cor

Northern Advocate, 17 March 1948, Page 5

Brothers Admit Beer Theft From Cor

Admitting the theft of three dozen bottles of beer from a locked car in Walton Street, two brothers from Toetoe. Moses Parore Davis, 21, PWD employee, and Kingi Edward Davis, 20, unemployed, at Whangarei today were committed by Mr W. C. Harley, S.M., to the Supreme Court for sentence. Owner of -he beer, William Henry Trail, labourer, of Maungatapere, said he parked his car in Walton Street on the evening of March 5. Inside was a crate containing two dozen bottles, and a cement sack containing another dozen. He locked the car doors. On returning from the pictures at 19.30' p.m. he found the back door of the car was open and the beer gone.

EMPTIES FOUND

Constable F. A. Davis said Moses Davis, when interviewed on March 6, denied taking the beer, which he said he had bought. He took Moses to Maunu Hil, where a crate, bag and 26 empty beer bottles were found. He told Moses that the crate and bag were identical with the ones taken from the car, whereupon Moses admitted taking the beer, and later made a statement accordingly.

On Monday he interviewed Kingi Davis, who said he had helped his brother to take the beer, which was consumed at a party at Maunu Hill. Kingi said his brother told him he had bought the beer and that Moses opened the door by putting his hand through the windscreen. John Josepn Hansen, taxi driver, o! Whangarei, said that on March 5. he pulled into the stand to pick up a fare. As the accused were going in the same direction he rook them also. TRIP IN TAXI

On leaving rhe taxi office he was instructed to drive to Albert Street, where he was requested to stop for some parcels. When accused got out he turned the car and waited. The accused returned and put some parcels in the car’s boot. He did not know what was in the parceJs, and remained in his seat because it was raining.

When he arrived halfway up Maunu Hill the accused paid their fare, and removed the parcels. They then gave him two bottles of beer. Previously he had had occasion to drive the accused to Toetoe, and they had had parcels on those occasions. Both accused pleaded guilty and were committed to the Supreme Couit for sentence. The magistrate suggested that, “as a kindly act,” it should be mentioned on Ihe warrant that the accused had been in custody for 10 days.