BURGLARY AT PIER HOTEL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 22 December 1942, Page 3

BURGLARY AT PIER HOTEL

OFFENDER ARRESTED AND PLEADS GUILTY COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE ! A burglary at the Pier Hotel in the I early hours of Sunday morning had a ; sequel in the Magistiate’s Court yes- ! terday, when Frederick George Les- | ter, alias Phillip Lester, alias Frederick George Russell was charged with breaking and entering the dwelling house of Angus Stanley Rowling at Wakefield Quay and stealing about £27 15s in money and two bottles of beer.

Evidence was gi n by Angus S. Rowling, licensee of the Pier HoteL who said that he had known the accused for about 12 months, and the letter haJ stayed at witness’s hotel several tiroes. Witness had lent him r. oney on several occasions. Last Friday morning he had lent accused £2. Accused was in the hotel between 5 and 6 p.m. on Saturday. At about 11.30 p.m. witness locked the house up and the bar was then securely locked up. Hearing something he went down to the bar at about 5.20 a.m. and found the doo: underneath the slide open. The window was shut and there was a chair beneath it taken from the sitting room. The catch had been removed from the window which was then unlocked. There was a bag missing from the bar containing between £25 and £3O in silver. There were alto silver and notes missing from the cash register in the bar. A £1 note and a 10s note were found on the floor 0 f the bar. Two bottles of beer were also missing from the bar.

Detective-Sergeant Hayhurst gave evidence and said that as a result of a complaint by the previous witness he interviewed the accused who said that he had got into the hotel bar at about 1 a.m. on Sunday morning and had taken money he had found there and two bottles of b"*ei. He said he had entered by the bar window. Accused later took witness to a place where he had hidden the money and the sum of £23 3s 6d in silver was recovered. Accused showed signs of having been on a drinking bout.

When asked if he had anything to say, accused replied that he would not have done it if he had not been drunk. Accused pleaded guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court at Wellington for sentence.