SEQUEL TO HOLD-UP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20978, 15 September 1931, Page 11

SEQUEL TO HOLD-UP.

yOUB MEN IN COURT. I fHREE CHARGES PREFERRED. ACCUSED PLEAD NOT GUILTY. ■piL COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. Charges arising from the police investi- / cation ° f tho brcakin S aild entering of the Win post office on August 29, when hots were fired during (tie pursuit of the intruders, were preferred against four in the Polico Court yesterday before Messrs. A. J- Stratford and 1). Donaldson, J- P -' s - The accused were: 1 nomas Edwards, j 38 } motor driver, Edward Donovan, i need 34- electrician, George Edward Allen, ' seed 33» labourer, and Lloyd Richard Jsithfull, aged 32. labourer. Charges of breaking and entering the store of Robert William Wilson at Wiri on August 29 Tfjth intent to commit a crime, of breaking and entering the Self-Help Co-opera-tive Stores, Limited, at Point Chevalier en August 23 and stealing goods to the , T alue of £7, and of breaking and entering the warehouse of Morgon and Docherty on August 23 and stealing motor spirit to the value of £4 18s were made against the four. Donovan was also charged ■Rith procuring possession of a sevenchambered revolver without lawful right. Detective-Sergeuit Kelly conducted tho prosecution. Mr. Noble appeared for Donovan and Allen, Mr. Sullivan for Edwards and Mr. Dickson for Faithfull. Robert William Wilson said he was • awakened about 12.55 a.m. on August 29 by an alarm connected between his residence and the post office store, He and his son had noticed three men run away from the store/and enter a paddock. Bounding a bend in Great South Road witness saw a stationary motor-car, the I number of which he noted as 11-138. While he was engaged in taking the number, an armed man left the paddock and threatened both witness and the driver of the car, who was standing in the roadway. •' / Three Shots Fired. Three shots were fired by this man gcross the car at the driver, witness added, but they appeared to go on either side. Ordered by the armed man, the driver started the vehicle in the direction of Auckland. Two locks were forced off ,/ the door of the post office but two keys only were missing. An attempt had been made to enter the grocery store adjoining. Corroborative evidence of the pursuit was given by the storekeeper's son, Allan Eupext Wilson, who signalled for assist- / ance to the driver of a passing motorlorry, George Alfred Paul, of Otahuhu. In evidence, Paul said he was warned by one of the men /near the car not to approach but he confirmed the note of the number. Later, when he was travelling toward Otahuhu to notify the police, he encountered the car again and accelerated when it appeared that he was going to be held up by the man who had been threatening. , Paul identified two of the men in the ' dock as the driver and the armed man, but he admitted that he might not be s able to identify the armed man were he placed among a number of men. -Daniel Grant Hendry, deputy-regis-trar ol motor vehicles, said the car numbered 11-138 was registered in the name of Thomas Edwards. A foreman employed by Morgon and Docherty, Walter Thomas Coyle, said that Faitjifull and Edwards previously I had been in the employ of the firm. Witness identified / several cases produced in Court as similar to those in store when the warehouse at Three Kings was entered on August 23. Groceries and supplies exhibited by the police were pronounced by Robert Herbert Mitchell, / manager of the Self-Help store at Point Chevalier, as similar to the goods removed on August 23. '• Detective's Evidence. Statements made by three of the accused, Edwards, Faithfull and Allen, were read in Court by Detective T. Snedden. Edwards had been interviewed on the morning of August 29 at 17, St. Michael's Avenue, Point Chevalier, and lie had made a statement saying that he had gone to Waikowhai at Faithfull's request and had met two men, one an electrician. He did not know who suggested going to Wiri, but the electrician had said they were "going out to do a job." At Wiri, he had been tdld to wait in tho car. Later he saw a firearm discharged by the J electrician, who pointed the weapon at him andtold him to drive away. Detective Sneddon detailed goods found at Edwards' house. In statements to the police, accused said he bad obtained the goods from Faithfull and was 1o pay £2 for them. On the night of August 23, Faithfull called and said be bad , "some things up the street" and accused / could have a share if he carried them in his motor-car to Faithfull's house at Waikowhai. Accused had the impression that the goods had been stolen. Objection to Statement. Continuing, Detective Snedden described the results of the visit of defectives to Faithfull's house on August 29. Edwards was taken out and, when he told -baithfull that the 'police had discovered a quantity of/goods;, Faithfull remarked that Edwards was not to blame for it all. Bench recorded an objection by Mr. Noble to the admission of a statement obtained from Faithfull. In this. faithful] said he had forced the door of yne Wiri post office, the other men stand- / I[ 'g some yards away. They had not told Edwards when I bey left the c ar that they intended to enter the preHe hacl taken s .,ods from the Wit-Help store, the other two men being OOt en the road, and he had requested Mwards to transport the goods. j,particulars of the supplies found at faithfull's house were given the tlctechi" / !len h y ] boen tllcre - 110 saifl - bllfc Ma denied complicity until Faithfull's swtement was read to him. He had told ' |M police that he stayed in the car with a ? rds but > °» Faithfull's return in half hour, he accompanied him to the Win store Donovan and Faithfull had woken the lock' Allen said in his statepent. A threat had been made to shoot „ e °,„^ le two men who came to the ".Allen said, but he did not have a evoiver. Allen also admitted his presZ* , en the p o : "t Chevalier store was van?-; Al,cn > faithfull ami Done vol, a " ,]c "' m] ownership of the reJ/ r > which was found in the porch ' re Donovan slept at Faithfull's. fi ail Applications Granted. ijv'7 statement made by Donovan to iW e J- Nalder was produced by tS. ! V6 C - k Packman, who was saidlV, St the intervie w. Donovan had cram he , wentto to repair a ■ *P°Ph<me for Faithfull. On the night ' entciin K -it Wiri he had havb the / 10usc ' Fai thfull and Allen *6Dar£ E °L e ith a d » v er, returning at temrn♦ • S ' Donovan said any atimplicate him would be a "f'ramehui v.. ° r tn ° purposes of revenge, ; e was not prepared to give the reaAll t J * We Z** men P lea ded not guilty and for tr5 mn rl U - ed t0 the Supreme Court of gj * ," a ii was renewed in the case iu the sum of £lso "' and amount \ Vas allowed bail in the same tBeT D '. A surety of £2OO was fixed bv to armi- /in the case of Allen, but was made on behalf of