SERIES OF BURGLARIES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18534, 19 October 1923, Page 5

SERIES OF BURGLARIES

NINE CHARGES ADMITTED.

HINDS PLEADS GUILTY.

HOUSES AND: SHOPS ENTERED

.' No. Fewer than nine charges of breaking and entering" dwellings and shops wore preferred against 'Alfred Arthur Hinds, aged 44 (Mr. R. G. Scott), : in the Police Court yesterday:' before Mr. J. ;W. ' , Poyntori, S.M. In each case of alleged entry, there was also, a charge of theft, the total value of ! the : missing goods being £128 8s sd. The dates of the occurrences extended from December, 1922, ;to September, 1923. ; Accused/who is also known as " Soldier Thompson," . as .a , professional wrestler; pleaded guilty. - ->' -, The burglaries occurred at the following places, the value of the articles taken being given in each case:—Dwelling of C. J. Tunks, Remuera, , £50 dwelling of H. H. Harnett, P.emuera, £12 6s; shop of A. E. Henderson, grocer, of Kohimarama, £15; warehouse of Frank Hawes, Mon Desir Hotel, Takapuna, £5. 18s sd; shop of H. G. Sutcliffe,.-Devonporfc, £8 8s 6d; shop of J. S. McGonkey, Devonport, £18; dwelling of A.; Cowie, Devonport, £4' 15s; naval uniforms under carriage by Buckley and McGaivey. Devonport, £13 ;5s 6d i shop of Auckland Meat Company, Devonport, 153. The articles taken included clothing, watches, money, foodstuffs, /'liquor, and miscellaneous .goods.- ' ' ■ ' "' ':;/■'■.- ; ;,, ■: Accused was further charged .with having being found by night in unlawful possession of,, hoii'i.j-breakihg instruments, to wit, : skeleton keys and pick-locks, and with being in unlawful possession of explosives. "-": ; : '; "- -■ ' \', , , t I Evidence was given by v«.!.'.-us v'messes of the disappearance of article." *: . .n. their premises. Much of the stolen property was produced in Court and identified. ' Constable W. A. Nehoff gave evidence of finding accused in the Auckland Meat Company s shop, and of tho subsequent chase, and 20 minutes' struggle, which ended in accused being captured* <icI cused had a revolver, which was described a;;, » dummy automatic, emitting a flash { cf (ho. ■ At the time, Hinds said he went ti'y' tfi-3 Shop because he was' starving and J vranied something to -eat. When he was ,; so evoked at Devonport, an_ electric torch and some skeleton keys were found. ,AcI cused admitted wearing a false ; moustache, , ■- . t ,' > *,' j ...Wifcpi'as later went to accused's house I /is 1 ': Narrow Neck, where liquor, referred 'Hn',] as 'that stolen from ; Takapuna, was j'l.'tliund.';.,.• There was plenty of food in. the iouse., while keys, pick-locks, and, gelignite were also discovered. ••' - ' ;: Sergeant D.-.L.: Calwell said he visited accused's "house, where he found many articles which had been described ;as Stolen. ■..•;••■■', ' ••;,-■•■.■;--;. ■"■:■■'^:-y'':\ Senior-Detective Ward produced statements made by the, accused, ] who. said. J ;,<3 had been a Public Works Department foreman on railway. works in North Auckland. He was a widower with three children. He had not worked .for months, as he had been laid up. - He admitted opening the Auckland Meat Company's shop door by means of. a . piece of wire. : The revolver was a toy one. -He admitted stealing the liquor from Takapuna,.;but he did not tell .: Mrs.: .; Loveridge whp'-A ha eot th« Jiouor.v On a ferry-boo he found a brief bag, which contained skeleton keys and. wire. . Three pairs of trousers he found in the centre of Vauxhall Road, and watched the papers to see if anyone advertised. He gave Mrs. Loveridge a watch, but :he \ did not tell her where he got it. The explosives were brought from , the Omana Tunnel, * where ■ he had been working. He did 'not break into Hellaby's* shop at Takapuna, or into: the Takapuna Borough Council's ; offices". The only robberies he committed I were at 1 the butcher's shop and 'at, the Mon Desir I Hotel. - - ■ ! Upon Detective Ward telling f' accused J that ■ certain : property, found in his househad been identified as stolen, Hinds; made another statement, in which he confessed.; to; the theft .at Sutcliffe's, 'and : McCon-j key's, and also to the,'theft of : the; naval' uniforms. >He :gave some things to -Mrs. I Loveridge, who thought' thev ! had :'.': belonged to accused's deceased wife. A I third statement was made when accused was taxed with the theft of other articles found in his house. )l In this - statement Hinds admitted the remaining burglaries Accused as committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. ;An ; application for bail was refused. On the charge of having been in unlawful possession of explosives, Hinds ' was sentenced to three months' imprisonment.

/HOUSEKEEPER NOT GUILTY. ■' RECEIVING CHARGE DISMISSED. ' Mary /-' Catherine" .' Loveridgej ;,-: Hinds' housekeeper, aged ? 42 (Mr.- Tong), was then ,/ charged with '/-having received ; gcods valued at £46 10s from; Hinds, welll-know.-.! ing them. to have been 'stolen. The receipt of : the ;goods' was admitted.is' '■ ".'■;//v/?'f • Mr. Tong; said "4 hat Mrs. Loveridge was the victim of unfortunate and ; unkind sir- : cumstandes. Because of what she had done for Hinds and his children, Hinds had often given her/ presents. Hinds shad goods stored which bad belonged:' to his deceased wife,, and : she thought the presents came from there. Tho onus was on the prosecution -to show that ;' when ;- Mrs.! Lovsridge received . the ' articles, ' she;, knew they had s been stolen. There was however, not a scintilla ■;of evidence that. She had received the goods in all; 1 ; innocence. Letters ; testifying/ : to';'./"- accused's good character were' submitted > The magistrate said that Hinds had li'Jd to '. the.; police and changed;his: ground, and iit was therefore quite natural ; that he , sho'ild have told;' Mrs.": //Loveridge ■,■ the I goods were his -> wife's 'property. 'Mrs. Loveri.dge had ? told ; the truth, ; and' had not disposed of the goods. . A jury would not convict her. The case . was dismissed.