THEFT BY WATERSIDER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 15 April 1939, Page 9

THEFT BY WATERSIDER

THREE MONTHS’ IMPRISONMENT ArMlinn" WELLINGTON, 14th April. The prevalence of thefts from ships’ cargoes at Wellington was referred to by Detective-Sergeant P. Doyle in the Magistrate’s Court to-day when a water sider was charged with the thfeft of porgon of the cargo of the Rangitane. I( was stated that a considerable i amount of cargo had been taken from

“This class of offence is most prevalent at the present time.” said Detec-tive-Sergeant Doyle, “and I think T •si ould inform the Court that the cargo which was discharged from this ship yesterday showed traces of being considerably pillaged. This is only a mere drop in the ocean of the goods that are missing, from the ship. Even the lockers which contained whisky and other liquors were broken open yesterday and quantities of the contents stolen. I am not suggesting that the accused did that." The accused, William Donald (.Ellies, a waterside worker, aged 50. pleaded guilty before Mr W. F. Stilwell, S.M., to the theft of miscellaneous clothing of a tet* 1 value of £7 19s 6d, the property of the New Zealand Shipping Company. So far this year, said Detective-Ser-geant Doyle, the accused had earned £9 3s lid a week, and had £l6 15s 10d in his possession when arrested. He had not previously been before the Court. Gillies was convicted and sentenced to three months’ imprisonment