SERIES OF CHARGES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22197, 26 August 1935, Page 15

SERIES OF CHARGES

TWO MEN IMPRISONED COMMENT BY MAGISTRATE A painter, Alfred William Ruff Astle, aged 32 (Mr. Noble), and a billiards marker, Lewis Mar Gray, aged 20 (Mr. Schramm), appeared before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., in tho Police Court on Saturday, on a series of charges. Gray pleaded guilty to charges of stealing money totalling £2 6s and motor accessories valued at £2, while Astle admitted charges of stealing the motor accessories, a musquash fur coat valued at £25, an overcoat and gloves valued at £3 9s 6d, £1 in money, and receiving 6s in money knowing the sum to have been obtained dishonestly. Senior-Detective Hall said the two accused had been associating for some weeks past. Tho accessories were taken from a motor-car parked in Shortland Street, City, and on another occasion the removed money from purses belonging to people attending a party in Newmarket. Gray had been invited to the party. The coats were taken on that occasion. Gray also admitted thefts from a hall at Morningside. Astle was a married man with five children, and was on sustenance, while Gray, who was unemployed, was single. Tho younger man had been frequenting racecourses for some time, and, said Mr. Hall, was what was known as a "racecourse guesser." Gray was already on probation in connection with a vagrancy charge preferred at Wellington. Astlo had previously been before the Court. Mr. Schramm asked for leniency for Gray, and Mr. Noble said his client's offences were the result of drunkenness. The magistrate sentenced Astle to two months' imprisonment, saying he was the older man, and should have known better. Gray was sentenced to a month's imprisonment, the magistrate saying accused had been given an opportunity before.