THEFTS BY EMPLOYEES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18299, 16 January 1923, Page 5

THEFTS BY EMPLOYEES.

-*— — TWO MEN IMPRISONED. RECEIVER ALSO IN GAOL. FOURTH MAN FINED- £2. Three men appeared together in the Police Court yesterday, before Mr. J. W. Poynton, S.M., in connection with the alleged theft-!'of-iron- and other materials from Win gate ,and Co. Gordon (Mr. .Dickson), late an employee of the firm, was accused of stealing iron valued £20; Isaac Glover (Mr. Moody), was charged wi'" receiving from Lepine .iron valued £4 10s, knowing it to have been dishonestly obtained; Alfred Travers, another employee/ of Wingate and Co. (Mr. Moody), was accused of the theft of a number of small articles, of a total value of £2 15s 7d. Detective O'Brien said that Travers had made a statement irrwhich he said he bad sold some of the goods in hotel bars, others he had taken home. Detective Meiklejohn said that Lepine had also made a statement, saying he had stolen on one occasion as much as 12-or 13 sheets. A man had wanted to build • a shed, and be had given him six sheets. Chmi-Detfcctive Mellveney said that Glover was a carrier, calling at Wingate's store. He understood that accused had built a 'motor shad, and that half the iron was stated to have been received from Lepine, who had no authority to_ dispose'of it." . Mr. Dickson asked, as this was Lepine s first offence, that he be given a chance of making restitution and -placed on probation. ',';■', Mr". Moody said that Travers had been employed by Wingate and Co. for seven years,* and had never been-in any trouble before. Glover had paid for some iron., and apparently got the balance at a greatly reduced rate.. He fully realised he must malie restitution. The magistrate said there had been a combination of thefts. He sentenced Travers-and -Lepine to one month's'-im-prisonment," and Glover to 14 days. Subsequently, William Albert Everson (Mr. Inder) was charged with receiving iron from Lepine„ knowing it to have been dishonestly obtained; and further with the theft of iron, all the property of-Wingaifflx and Co. . >'- ' • ' ' c _ Detective Mieklejohn stated that Ever- ; son, in a statement, admitted that after buving iron from Wingate he found upon, getting home he had two sheets more than he "had paid for. Those tw.o sheets had not been returned. ■ ; ",■ ; Gordon Lepine gave evidence m regard to i:4n which the accused had taken delivery of from witness. In regard -to the charge of receiving, ■ counsel said that accused paid the market price. He did no't' know,'- that Lepine had no right to sell iit, _ - Accused, in the witness box, said he had ■ no idea the iron had been stolen. He did j not know Lopine was putting the money into his own pocket. The magistrate .said it was quite possible accused's explanation was correct in regard to the charge of receiving; he would have the benefit of the doubt. As to the two sheets, that was a theft, ,and he inflicted a fine of £2, and ordered accused to pay 9s, cost of the goods, ' \ —