SUBURBAN BURGLARIES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21561, 4 August 1933, Page 14

SUBURBAN BURGLARIES

TWO MEN CHARGED PASSER-BY'S VIGILANCE COMMITTAL FOR SENTENCE A sequel to tho summoning of police to a Mount Albert grocery store on the evening of July 25 was the appearance in the Police Court yesterday of Leslie Dickson, aged 27, labourer, and Leonard Spencer Teehan, aged 20, motor-driver, on two charges of breaking and entering suburban shops by night. The accused were jointly charged with breaking and entering the shop of Charles Horace Cornish, 75 Taylor's Road, Mount Albert, on July 25, and stealing tobacco and tinned goods of a total value of £4, and with breaking and entering the shop of Joseph Mudd, 698 Dominion Road, and stealing tobacco and Is 7d in money, of a total value of 12s (3d. Mr. Wilson appeared for Dickson and Mr. W'alker for Teehan.

Charles Horace Cornish, grocery store proprietor, gave evidence that in consequence of a message received he had gone to his store at 11.30 p.m. on J illy 25, and found that it had been broken into. Tho glass of both doors had been broken and zinc on the front door had been broken to expose the lock. The shelves in tho shop had been depleted. Evidence of seeing suspicious movements in tho doorway of the store was given by Alfred Leigh Gosling, who said he was passing the shop at about 9.30 p.m. on his way to post a letter. To investigate more closely, he went through some private grounds and was then able to see that one of the accused, Dickson, was working on the door, and the other accused, Teehan, was keeping watch. Witness then telephoned tho polico and returned to tho position from which he had been watching the accused. He saw the accused carry two bags out and placo them in the doorway of a shed around the corner. When the police arrived both accused were standing in the doorway of the shop. Joseph Mudd, tobacconist, gave evidence that his shop had been broken into on the night of July 24 and assorted tobaccos and a small sum of moncv taken. The glass panel of the door had been broken, treacle having previously been smeared over it. Detective E. A. Stevenson said that in response to a telephone message from the witness Gosling, he and other members of the police force had gone to Cornish's shop, where the two accused were found in the doorway. When asked about the damage to the door, the accused Dickson said: ''W hat do you think? It looks like it, doesn't it?" When taken to the detective office, the accused Dickson made a statement in which he admitted breaking into the store and filling sugar bags with goods taken from the shelves. He said they were about to go away when tho police car arrived. He admitted the Dominion Road offence also, but said that neither he nor Teehan had carried out any other breaking and entering. They had stolen the goods in order to get food. Acting-Detective Maliood read a statement obtained from Teehan, who said he was 20 years of age and a married man, at present unemployed. He admitted taking part in the offences and said lie wished to assist the polico to clear the matter up. Both accused pleaded guilty and werd committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.