POSE AS HORSE TRAINER

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19099, 21 August 1936, Page 13

POSE AS HORSE TRAINER

VICTIM FOUND AT TROTS TIP FOR A “CERTAINTY” THIEF SENT TO GAOL (Per Press Association.) CHRISTCHUIICH, this day. “A pure, unadulterated spieler. About the hardest work he does is taking people down.” This was how Chief Detective Dunlop described Howard Maitland, when he appeared in court this morning on a charge of stealing £5, the property of Robert Scollay. The venue of the theft was the Addington trotting ground and involved dealings on “a certainty” on the last race on Wednesday of last week. Maitland was sentenced' to gaol for four months with hard labour.

Scollay, in evidence, said that before the last race, lie Was standing outside the totalisator. The accused came up to him to borrow bis pencil. He said he was an Auckland trainer and had made far too much money. He then said lie knew a horse iri tho last race which could not lose. Maitland Went away for a few moments and two young men came up to the witness, asking what horse lie had been told by the other man who, they said, was a big Auckland trainer. This decided the witness that the accused was genuine and he finally put £ls on Mocast. He then went into the stand with Maitland. Maitland then suggested that £ls was not enough and took £5 from witness’ hand to put on tho totalisator. The machine had then closed continued the witness and he saw tho accused walk round and come hack again, saying it was all right. Later lie arranged to meet Maitland who, however, did not appear.