CITY POLICE COURT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23717, 26 January 1939, Page 3

CITY POLICE COURT

Wednesday, January 2!> ■ (Before Mr J. R. Bartholomew. S.M.) Further Remand Appearing on remand :om a -charge* ;, of obtaining £6 15s 6d from James Allison McConnell by means of false pretences, Roy Poison was further remanded until Friday. Conversion of Cars Edward Edwin McLaren, who was represented by Mr G. J. L. White; pleaded guilty to unlawfully: converting to his own use cars owned by William Burnet Brosnan and George Alexander Grey.—Chief Detective Holmes said that at. 10,15. p.m. on January 12 the complainant Brosnan left his car in King street^ 1 and the following day found it had been taken. The accused, who was 29 years .of age, took the vehicle ,to Sawyers’ Bay, where he lived, and left it there for two days before bringing it back to town. He took the other car on January 5 from Hyde street, finally abandoning it in town the next day. When accused of the offences he admitted them. He had been before the court previously on similar offences. —Mr White said that the accused was in work and by his foolish actions had destroyed his chance to make-goo# Only recently the Minister-of Justice hacl warned motorists against leaving keys in cars or leaving them unlocked as they were only inviting people to take the vehicles. In ■ case a key was in one car and the”' other was unlocked. Mr White; stressed the fact that the car had-, not been damaged, and the accused had not taken them far.—Stating. that the accused, hag had eight previous' convictions for theft and Seemed to have no regard for the property of others, the magistrate imposed a sentence of three months’ imprisonment with hard labour on. each 1 charge, the sentences to be served; concurrently. Theft of Fur Coat

Robert Bruce McKinlay pleaded, guilty to stealing a masquash fur coat, valued at £4O, the. property ot. Annie Margaret Mitchell, and two boxes of chocolates, valued at 17s'. 6d, the property of the New Zealand Railway Road Services Depart- ( ment. —Chief Detective Holmes said; the accused, who was 41 years of age. was addicted to drink.. On January 18, while on a drinking; bout, he walked into the room of an: hotel and took the licensee’s wife’s; fur coat, putting it on under his own overcoat. He tried to sell it. but eventually threw it into the; grounds of First Church, where it; was recovered by Detective Sergeant Le Sueur The.. accused also went into' the shed where' road service' parcels were kept and took-a parcel containing two 51b boxes qf : choco-i lates, which he sold for 4s 6d.—The accused was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment.,on .the first charge and , sOven days’ imprisonment on the other charge.