ALLEGED SHEEP-STEALING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18703, 8 May 1924, Page 6

ALLEGED SHEEP-STEALING.

I ' ■ <* * THAMES DISTRICT /CASE. 1 ACCUSED DENIES OFFENCE • A plea of not guilty was entered by ' Walter Robert McMahon. (Mr. Johnstone), charged, before Mr. Justice Herd- ' man in the-Supreme Court yesterday, , with stealing sheep, ; the property of i Joseph Clark, at Thames. i Outlining the case for the prosecution, Mr. S. L. Paterson said that of 110 sheep purchased from the accused by a farmer, 25 had been identified as being the property of Clark. The latter complained to the. police, and a few days afterwards received from accused a cheque for the value of the sheep. The cheque was returned to accused, Clark stating that he could not accept payment, as the matter was in the " hands of the police. Robert Harold ' Jamieson, farmer, of Kercta, = gave - evidence ! that on July 6, 1923, he bought 110 sheep from accused. The latter helped to put the sheep through the yards. At "the request of Clark witness mustered his sheep ,in the presence of. Edgar ■ and '■ Ernest Clark...: The Clarks picked out 19 sheep and put a red raddle mark on them. Later the Clarks picked out 25 sheep that they identified as their property. Later, / accused inspected tno sheep with witness. ' He agreed : that , six. were : Clark's sheep, and offered to pay for them, together with expenses of mustering. [ Witness admitted there were a number of : earmarks, on the sheep. "• « -is Similar evidence was' given by Ernest James Clark./' •/' [' .' • Evidence was, given by Sergeant MacDonald and Constable Brigge as to interviewing accused regarding the sheep. • It was contended for the defence that the sheep, which were running on a property adjoining that of the accused, got mixed • with; the latter's flock. When McMahon was . selling some of his stock in winter some of Clark's sheep were sold by mistake. * Subsequently it was agreed between accused and Clark's two sons that McMahon should pay for the sheep, giving the same price as Clark had paid for them. ' Accused gave evidence as outlined by counsel. He. said that since ho had been charged with thit offence the Clarks had mustered on his property with his permission. They had found sheep belonging to them among his sheep. Cross-examined, accused said the 25 sheep • claimed by Clark were not sold by accused to Jamieson. : . He lost his head when he first .. heard that the Clark-; claimed the sheep, and : were "talking police," and he offered to pay for the sheep. _ He had no idea how the sheep came into Jamieson's possession. Hugh Charles Plummet, labourer, of Tapu, Thames, gave evidence that when McMahon's sheep were mustered for' inspection accused was not present. The mustering and drafting was done by witness and two men named Alley and Morrisey., About 12 or 15 sheep with Clark's earmark .'were, drafted out. ' The hearing was adjourned till to-day.