BREAKING AND ENTERING.

Otago Witness, Issue 3655, 1 April 1924, Page 33

BREAKING AND ENTERING.

At the Dunedin City Police Court on Friday, 28th ult., a young man named Leo James M’Gowan was charged with having at night at Kaitangata, on December 12, broken and entered the premises of Peter Souness and stolen three wristlet watches, four ribbon guards, two rolled gold alberts, three tie eleven gem rings, and a cigarette case, of the total value of £35 4s 3d.—Chief-detective Lewis prosecuted and Mr A. C. Hanlon appeared for accused. —Peter Souness, chemist and fancy goods shopkeeper at Kaitangata, said rhe place was locked up before he retirea. He was called by a customer early next morning and went into the shop, and found one of the windows at the side of the shop open. That window was beside the footpath. lie noticed a glass slide in the shop was open and that some of the goods were missing from the shop window. He communicated with the police, and reported the articles mentioned in the charge as missing. He identified several of the articles produced as his property. He knew accused, whom he had frequently seen in his shop and who had been a resident of Kaitangata for 10 or 12 months. The windows of witness’s shop had been forced open and the locks broken.—Constable Maiden, stationed at Kaitangata, stated that in response to a call he went to the shop i of Air Souness, and found n side window ! open sufficiently wide to admit a man. It ! had been forced with a file, or some similar j tool, and the catch had been filed. The window of an adjoining room had also been ’ forced and the catch broken. On March

20, accompanied by Air Souness, he mado a search of a room in the Bridge Hotel, occupied by the accused. and found in a box containing letters addressed to accused a cigarette case. In another "cox he found a number of other articles of jewellery. All these articles were produced by witness. Witness saw -accused the following day, and a statement by accused was taken by Detective Roycroft. Accused was wearing some of tne jewellery when interviewed. Witness saw some persons at Kaitangata and from, them received two brooches. Accused had admitted giving the brooches to these persons. They were part of the property stolen from Air Souness. —Detective Roycroft gave evidence as to interviewing accused, who was then wearing some of the stolen property. Accused said he got it from a mate, witn the exception of the watch, which he had bought in Invercargill. Witness replied. that they were the property of Mr Souness and stated that he knew who had broken into the place. In a written statement accused had said that the goods were given him by a mate. lie knew the property belonged to Souness. He had not broken into the premises, and was not near the premises on the night in question. Ilia mate had told him he had broken into Souness’s. He had, added witness, more than half of what was reported to have been stolen.—Accused pleaded guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. —Mr Hanlon stated that the accused’s age was 19 years.—His Worship allowed bail, accused in £IOO and one surety of £ICO, on condition that he reported daily to the police.