CITY POLICE COURT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22372, 20 September 1934, Page 15

CITY POLICE COURT

Wednesday, September 10. (Before Mr J. 11. Bartholomew, S.M.) A FURTHER REMAND. A young man whose name was ordered to be suppressed appeared on remand on a charge of rape.—Chief Detective Young asked fur a further remand till September 26, and this was granted, bail being allowed as before. ADMITTED TO PROBATION. Earle William Smither was charged with the theft of various electric:.! goods valued at £25, the property of Messrs Turnbull and Jones, Ltd., and the theft of various electrical equipment, valued at £3l IGs Gd, the property of Messrs Turnbull and Jones, Ltd. He was also charged with being in possession of a .32 calibre revolver for a longer period than seven days without being registered as the owner, and with being in possession of a .177 Webley air pistol, except for some lawful and sufficient purpose.—Mr J. G. Warrington appeared for the accused, who pleaded guilty to all the charges.—Chief Detective Young said that on the evening of September 11 Detectives Russell and Taylor had searched the house of the accused's father in connection with another matter. They found that the door of one room was locked, and this the father had stated was the bedroom of his son, the accused. Entrance was gained to the room, and there the detectives found a large quantity of new electrical and wireless equipment. The father had denied all knowledge of these goods, ami when inquiries were made it was found that the accused was in the employment of Messrs Turnbull and Jones, Ltd. A member of that firm was called, and he stated that the goods belonged to his firm. The detectives waited in the room till the accused returned home. When they confronted him he admitted having taken the goods over a period of two years, while in. the employment of the firm. When a search of the room wiis made by the detectives a revolver was found. This had a broken trigger and trigger guard, but it appeared to have been carried about to a considerable extent or else the accused had kept it clean. ’He stated that it had belonged to a relative of his and he had taken possession of it for safety’s sake. The Webley air pistol had been held to be a dangerous weapon, and the charge had been brought so that the weapon could be confiscated. The accused had not been before the court before.—For the accused Mr Warrington said that his client had been earning only a small wage, and he came from a very' poor environment. His idea had been to get away from it, and establish a home of his own. Most of the goods were of a household nature, and it would be noticed that the accused bad not attempted to sell them. This was the first lapse of the accused, who was 21 years of age. All the articles- had been recovered and could be restored to the rightful owners. The accused had, with his sister, been assisting to support the home, If he were released on probation he would be given work by a former employer. The revolver, said counsel, was broken and useless as a firearm. The accused stated he had found the air pistol. The accused lacked proper control in his home, and if given a chance under really stringent control by the probation officer, he would not trouble the court again.—In view of the report before the court, said the magistrate, he had great hesitation in admitting the accused to probation. However, as he was only 21 years of age he would adopt that course. If there was any laxity in his conduct while on probation the probation officer would be directed to bring him before the court on these charges. On the first charge ho would be admitted to probation for a period of two years. On the other charges he would be convicted and discharged, the weapons to be confiscated. CHARGE OF THEFT. Erie William Freeman appeared for sentence on a charge of stealing a coat and vest, valued at £4 ss, the property of Dr Eudey.—For the accused, Mr A. G. Neill said that this was the theft of a coat from a cleaning works. The coat had been there for six weeks before the accused had taken it. He had been invited to an evening, and he had considered that his own clothes were too threadbare to attend the party. He, therefore, foolishly took the coat and wore it. When the coat bad been discovered to he missing, he had been afraid to return it, but when the works changed ownership lie did bring it back, and he was actually wearing the vest when he was seen by the police. The accused, who was now on probation, was 22 years of age. He had already been in gaol for a period of seven days.—ln answer to an inquiry from the magistrate, Chief Detective Young said that the accused was on three years’ probation for the theft of a motor cycle.—The probation officer said he could not wax enthusiastic over the manner in which the accused had exercised the terms of his probation.—The magistrate said that in the circumstances that the accused had already been in custody for seven days, which was really punishment for the offence, and that he was at present on probation, he would be convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon within the next six months. FAILURE TO ACCOUNT. Roy Albert Sefton, who was represented by Mr D. Solomon, pleaded guilty to a charge that, having received stuns amounting to £lB 13s 2d on terms requiring him to account for it to Messrs A. J. Allen, Ltd., he failed to do so, thereby committing theft.—Chief Detective Young asked for a remand for a week to enable inquiries to be made. —The remand was granted, bail being allowed in one surety of £SO, on the proviso that the accused reported daily to the police, REMANDED FOR A WEEK. John M‘Lean pleaded guilty to a charge that, with intent to defraud, he obtained from Messrs Smith and Smith, Ltd., goods to the value of £l4 14s 2d by falsely representing that the goods were for, and had been ordered by, Mrs T. J. Smith. —The accused, said Chief Detective Young, was a painter and paperlmngcr by occupation. In May last he secured a contract for painting the house of a widow, Mrs Smith. The terms were that he was to supply the materials. As he had little money, lie went to Messrs Smith and Smith, and, representing that the goods were for Mrs Smith, who was known to the firm, was supplied with the goods mentioned. The matter was not found out for some time, and in the meantime (lie accused had left Dunedin. He was located recently at Tirnarn, where he had appeared before the court on two charges of theft, on each of which lie had been sentenced to 14 clays’ hard labour. — The magistrate said that lie would remand the accused for a, week to enable particulars to lie obtained regarding the Tfniarn offences.