THEFT OF LIQUOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 3773, 6 July 1926, Page 75

THEFT OF LIQUOR.

HOTEL KEEPER IMPLICATED. AUCKLAND, June 28. Horace Vincent Byrne Speight and Michael Ready, licensee of the Britomart Hotel, appeared before the Police Court to-day each being charged with breaking and entering the bonded warehouse of Messrs L. D. Nathan and Co., with intent to commit a crime and with stealing liquor valued at £77 Is lOd, and alternatively with receiving the same liquor. Evidence was given that Speight was a lorry driver in Messrs Nathan and Co’s, employ, and that the lorry he drove was garaged outside a portion of the bond store. On Saturday, June 12, the premises were closed, but Speight was instructed to return the lorrv after it had been painted. His duty was to return the keys to the despatch office. The lorry was placed in the garage at midday, and Speight was the last man on the premises. Robert Beswick, employed as a Customs broker, said he had charge of Messrs Nathan and Co’s, bond store, which he locked up at 11.45 a.m. on June 12. The lorry was not there then. On Monday morning he found the doors open and seven cases and five bottles of spirits were on the platform on which the trucks were loaded. The bond lock was intact, but one crown lock leading to the n'x stories had been prized open and the lift door was also wide open. On taking stock he found that five cases of whisky, one case of brandy, one of gin, one of Schnapps, and two cases and IF bottles of brandy had been removed. At 6 pm. the same day, in company with detectives, he interviewed Ready at the Britomart Hotel. When told that it was alleged that he had bought the stolen liquor, Ready replied:' “You won’t find any here.” The premises were searched and not a single case of liquor was found, but in the cellar 83 bottles of brandy and 20 bottles of gin were found, and apparently they had been placed on the shelves recently. In the kitchen they found pieces of liquor cases with the bond marks, import marks, and numbers belonging to the cases stolen from the bond store. Witness and Detective Moon searched Keady’s backyard and found a large quantity of broken stone gin bottles in rubbish tins. When the hotel porter was questioned he stated that he was instructed by Ready to break up the bottles as they were useless. Evidence was also given by a driver employed at Messrs Nathan’s, who said that he was with Speight on Saturday afternoon when the latter left him to cr >eak to Ready. The police sergeant on duty on Sunday, J'me 13. said he heard hammering in the cellar of the Britomart Hotel, about 10.14 p.m. Speight pleaded guilty and was committed for sentence. Ready pleaded not guilty and reserved his defence and was committed for trial. Bail was allowed each accused.