SAFE-BLOWING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23796, 1 May 1939, Page 13

SAFE-BLOWING

SEVEN YEARS FOR A MAN POSSESSING GELIGNITE Sentence of seven years’ penal servitude was passed by the Common Serjeant, Mr Cecil Whiteley, K.C.. at the Old Bailey, on George Darry. aged 24, of Sterndale road, Hammersmith, for Eossessing detonators and gelignite and reaking into the Parkstone ,and Bournemouth Co-operative Society. Leonard Eric Groves, aged 25, was sentenced to three years' penal servitude for possessing gelignite and detonators. Sentence on Hugh Anson, aged 24, found guilty of conspiring to break into the Co-operative Society’s office v/as postponed until next sessions. Mr Anthony Hawke, prosecuting, said that the Co-operative Society’s safe was blown open on February 4. Three days later Darry. Anson, and a man named Chapman arrived at an hotel in Jersey, where Darry handed the manageress a bundle of £1 notes, one o: r which had been stolen at Bournemouth. Darry and Anson, in the witness box, pleaded an alibi. HID THE GELIGNITE Detective Inspector Greene said that In 1934 Groves was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment for robbery with violence. He took no part in the safe-breaking, but had hidden the gelignite and hired cars for others to commit crime. Darry’s correct name was Anthony Latt. In 1934 he was sentenced to two years’ hard labour for robbery with violence with Groves. The two men snatched handbags from women. Since last July Darry had been engaged with Chapman in safe-blowing. There had been many cases in London and the provinces, but none since the men were arrested. On December 12 Darry, Chapman, and Anson were arrested in Newcastle while trying to escape from the Scottish police. They were taken back to Edinburgh and charged with storebreaking and safe-blowing. They were released on bail in January, said Inspector Greene, and resumed safe-blowing in various parts of the country. Anson’s correct name v/as Anton Stromberg. There were no convictions against him, but he had driven a car with Darry. Chapman had been sentenced in Jersey to two years’ hard labour for shop-breaking.