THEFT OF WOOL FLEECES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20643, 15 February 1929, Page 10

THEFT OF WOOL FLEECES.

A FARMER CONVICTED. REMANDED FOR SENTENCE. (Per United Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, February 14. Guilty on both counts was the verdict returned in the Supreme Court today by the jury in the case in which Frederick Arthur Pcnfold, a Leithfield farmer, was charged with the theft of wool fleeces to the total value of £22 from two neighbouring farmers. He pleaded not guilty. He was represented by Mr C. S. Thomas, while Mr A. W. Brown prosecuted. In outling the case, Mr Brown said that Penfold was a small farmer in the Amberley neighbourhood. The day after shearing (November 23) one of the neighbours discovered that 24 fleeces had been stolen from his shed, while another neighbour discovered that he had also lost 15 fleeces. Later Penfold had sold 44 fleeces to a dealer. The police had taken possession of the fleeces in the same condition in which they had been sold. On ' November 26 the police had rounded up the sheep on the accused’s' farm, and had taken a detailed description of them. Some of the recovered wool was identified by the two neighbouring fanners. Penfold was remanded for sentence till to-morrow.