CHARGE OF THEFT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22722, 7 May 1937, Page 13

CHARGE OF THEFT

MAN'S PAY ENVELOPE ACCUSED SENT FOR TRIAL A charge of stealing £l4 from the person of John Mofiat J.urnbull on May 1 was brought against Thomas William Avery, aged <37, labourer, in the Police Court yesterday, before Mr. S. H. Brittain Bull and Mr. J. HardIcy, J.P.'s. Detective-Sergeant McHugh prosecuted and Mr. Sullivan appealed for accused. John Moffat'Turnbull said that on May 1 he was on holiday in Auckland from Tc Awamutu. Some time alter noon lie went into a hotel ill Victoria Street to look for a friend and met four men whom he knew, one of thciu being accused. When he went into the bar he had £l4 in a pay envelope in his left-hand trouser pocket, and 17s Cd ill the right-hand pocket. Accused got up from the scat where he was and, after speaking to witness, put his hand in the left-hand pocket. Witness grasped it and got a grip on one oik 1 of the envelope, which was protruding from accused's hand, witness tore one of the £1 notes and told accused he had the numbers ol all ol them, although he did not have. Later witness handed the piece of note to the police. Harry Vincent Mephan, a barman at the Strand Hotel, Parnell, said that at about 2.45 in the afternoon on May 1 accused came into the bar and tendered a torn £1 note, a small piece of ■which was missing. . , , Gordon Walter Stacc, assistant Government analyst at Auckland, said lie had found that the torn edges ot pieces of a £1 note given to him lot examination matched. Detective R. C. Brown said lie had interviewed accused, who denied having taken complainant's money and said he had "had a win" at football. Witness produced money which lie had taken from accused and said it included a 10s note torn in two pieces in a similar manner to the £1 note. Accused pleaded not guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court lor trial.