SHEEPFARMERS ROBBED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20174, 7 February 1929, Page 11

SHEEPFARMERS ROBBED.

WOOL AND WOOLPACKS TAKEN TWO MEN PLEAD GUILTY. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] INVERCARGILL, Wednesday. "This is a case,of two men trying to get rich quickly in a rather novel way," was how Detective-Sergeant Hewitt described the exploits of Colin James King, aged 18, and James Bates, aged 34, a married man, who appeared in the Police Court to-day. King, who was charged with tlio theft of two parcels of wool at Caroline, pleaded guilty to both charges, and elected to be dealt with summarily. Bates, who was charged with having received £/> from King when lie knew it had been dishonestly obtained, also pleaded guilty, and elected to be dealt with summarily. Six other charges of the theft of wool and woolpacks from farmers in the Caroline district were jointly entered against them, and to theso they entered similar pleas. According to the police the value of the wool stolen was £72 8s 6d, and accused had received over £6O for it.

The magistrate said lie took a serious view of the case, and remarked that it would appear that restrictions should bo placed on the sale of wool. He convicted and sentenced Bates to one month's imprisonment, and placed King on probiir tion for three years, and ordered them to pay £72 8s 6d, the value of the wool.