STOLEN PETROL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22117, 24 May 1935, Page 13

STOLEN PETROL

OIL COMPANY'S LOSS

THEFT OR RECEIVING FOUR MEN SENT TO PRISON [BV TELEGRAPH —PBESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON. Thursday Four charges of the theft of petrol from the Atlantic Union Oil Company, and four charges of receiving petrol, knowing it to have been dishonestly obtained, have been dealt with in the Magistrate's Court by Mr. J. G. L. Hewitt, S.M. Four of the accused, who pleaded guilty to the charge, or charges, against them—all former employees of the company—were sentenced to terms of imprisonment. Another accused —not an employee of the company—who admitted a charge of receiving, was admitted to probation. Another man charged with receiving was remanded.

The total loss to the company, disclosed by the charges, was 1836 gallons, valued at £137 7s. The offence tctok place over a period of two years. Charles Leonard Key, aged 34, plumber, who admitted charges of theft relating to a total of over 1700 gallons of petrol, was employed by the company as a nightwatchman. The other accused were Bert Broadhead, aged 42, engineer, formerly a pump hand at the company's plant; William Oscar Mudgwav, aged 38; and Cecil John Harvey, aged 45, former drivers for the company. Broadhead admitted a charge of theft and one of receiving, and Mudgway and Harvey each pleaded guilty to a charge of receiving. Key was sentenced to six months' imprisonment on one charge of theft and convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon within six months on another. Broadhead, Mudgway and Harvey were each sentenced to three months' imprisonment. Besides referring to the fact that the men sentenced were employees of the company, and therefore in a position of trust, Mr. Hewitt spoke of the difficulty of detecting such offences and the suspicion or distrust that might be thrown on other people. He said he had come to the conclusion that there was nothing for him to do but to impose imprisonment.

Arthur Edgar Cowan, aged 32, salesroan, who admitted a charge of receiving petrol from Key, was admitted to probation for two years. Charles Horace Boncey, aged 34, milk roundsman, who was charged with receiving petrol from Key, was remanded until next Wednesday.