Six Weeks’ Gaol For Theft Of Watch

Northern Advocate, 1 August 1949, Page 5

Six Weeks’ Gaol For Theft Of Watch

Six weeks’ gaol was the sentence imposed on Jim Ahpene by Mr W. C. Harley, S.M., in the Whangarei Court today when Ahpene pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing a wrist-watch, valued at £B. Sergeant H. Hedley said Ahpene stole the watch from a railway hut occupied by Pura Cooper. He removed the original strap, threw it away, and bought a new one. Ahpene had been hanging around the huts for some time, Sergeant Hedley said. He was apparently living on the young railwaymen, who were frightened of him. He had been warned to leave the huts, but had not done so. Ahpene had quite a bad list of previous convictions, the sergeant added, handing the list to the magistrate. Frederick Isaac Nixey was convicted and discharged on two charges, one of stealing a citrus tree, valued at 8/and the other of unlawfully removing from railway premises one tarpaulin, valued at £lO. both the property of the Railway Department. Detective-Sergeant E. W. Mahood said Nixey, on other charges, had been sentenced to 12 months’ reformative detention by the Supreme Court last week. ON ONE-WAY BRIDGE An accident on a one-way bridge near Oakleigh led to a charge against Joseph Joseph of driving a vehicle on a main highway without due care and attention. Sergeant Hedley said the truck Joseph was driving hit the side of a one-way bridge, tearing away 80ft , of the railing. Joseph said he had dipped his lights for another car and had not turned them on full again when he reached the bridge. He also said he had bent down to pick up a packet of cigarettes from the floor of the truck, and this contributed to the accident. Mr D. K. Ross, for Joseph, said one-, way bridges were a danger to the most "areful motorist. Joseph had done a hard day’s work and was returning home. Mr Ross understood that the bridge was only 61ft long, so it was hardly oossible that 82ft of railing could have been torn off by Joseph’s truck. Joseph was fined £1 with 10/- costs. STALLION ON ROAD Brian Spencer Ellis was fined- 10/vith 10/- costs on two charges of iding a bicycle without a light, hibert Arthur Crispin was fined 10/vilh 10/- costs and 2/- mileage for xceeding 30 m.p.h. in Kamo, while •’rederick Simmonds was fined 10/vith 10/- costs and 1/- mileage for perating a vehicle without sufficient : gilts. For permitting a stallion to wander ipon the road at Hikurangi, Ben fakimoana was fined £2 with 10/costs. Inspector Hunter said ihahorse was still wandering on the road, after having been impounded and claimed. As he stopped every time he saw traffic approaching, Nelson John Thorburn was ordered to pay costs only 10/- with 2/- mileage on a charge of driving a vehicle without being equipped with proper lights.