"EMERGENCY THEFT."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20516, 18 March 1930, Page 14

"EMERGENCY THEFT."

UNUSUAL PLEA BY COUNSEL. TWO MEN STEAL MOTOR TYRES. "It, was merely done in an emergency, the alternative being to abandon the car at the side of the road and to arrive lato at the show," was the unusual plea put forward by Mr. Smyth in the Police Court yesterday, when two charges of stealing two motor-tyres, two spare rims, and a quantity of petrol and oil, of a total value of £B, were proferred against Frederick George Lester, aged 24, seaman. The same charges were also brought against Alder Francis Walding, aged 24, labourer, for whom Mr. Jacob appeared. The offences, which both men admitted, were committed at Wainui, near Taihape, and at Taihape, on February 4. Chief-Detective. Hammond said that tho two men were travelling through Taihape in a motor-lorry. They stole a spare riin and tyre from a motor-car on the road. Further along they ran out of benzine, they then broke into a garage and stole some petrol and oil, together with another tyre, leaving in the garage the first tyre stolen. Mr. Jacob said that the thefts were not premeditated. Accused were hawking fish in the King Country, but were not successful, and decided to try their fortune with side-shows at country shows. They were in a huny to get to Te Kuiti when a tyre burst, and they took one from a car. This proved no better and when it burst they took the other tyre, arriving at the show in the afternoon. Counsel suggested that a term of probation would be a suitable punishment. "I do not think that I can impose a fine in this case; the accusud might have been before the Court on a far more serious charge—that of breaking and entering," said the magistrate, Mr. W. R. ijcKean. "I will see the probation officer, as I do not wish to send them to gaol if there is any other way out.." Both accused were thea remandeel for sentence until this morning.