POLICE COURT

Southland Times, Issue 22076, 25 July 1933, Page 5

POLICE COURT

RABBITSKINS STOLEN.

THREE MEN .CHARGED.

Thomas O’Connor and Albert John Saunders were each charged before Mr E. C. Lewey, S.M., in the Police Court yesterday afternoon with breaking and entering on July 18 the warehouse of William Campbell Wilson and committing the crime of theft. William Campbell Wilson, a skin buyer carrying on business in ®.P?y street, gave evidence that on the night of July 17 everything was securely locked at his store. On arriving next morning, his missed a quantity of rabbitskins and found that a trapdoor had been burst open during the night and skins to the value of about £35 stolen. Later he called at the store of the Invercargill Rabbitskin Company, where he identified five bags of rabbitskins as his property. James Edwin Richards, an employee at the Invercargill Rabbitskin Company, said that on July 18 Mr Stewart, the manager, informed him that a line of skins was at the store door when he (Stewart) arrived. Witness was told that a letter had been found under the skins and this was handed to him. He was later told that the skins had been stolen. He handed the letter (produced) to the police. Detective-Sergeant D. J. Hewitt, the next witness, said that in company with Detective Lean he instituted inquiries regarding the theft. O’Connor was interviewed and admitted writing the letter, but said he had done so on behalf of another man. At that time O’Connor denied being implicated, but the following day admitted that in company with another man, he had stolen the skins. Saunders, when interviewed, said he had used his taxi to take the skins from Wilson’s store to the Invercargill Rabbitskin Company. The next day Saunders admitted that he had been concerned in the theft of the rabbitskins on the previous Friday night with O’Connor and Fraser and that he received a share of the money obtained from the sale of the skins. O’Connor pleaded guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. Saunders pleaded not guilty and was committed for trial. He was granted bail in £lOO, with one surety of £lOO, conditional on his reporting daily to the police. Further Charges.

O’Connor and Saunders, together with James Charles Fraser, a taxidriver, were then each charged with stealing on July 15 two bags of rabbitskins valued at £l9 15/-, the property of some person or persons unknown. Each pleaded guilty. Detective-Sergeant Hewitt said that some bags of skins had been left over night at the Red Band Taxi stand. Saunders and Fraser, two night drivers, stole two of the bags and took them to the Invercargill Rabbitskin Company on the night in question and left them outside there—quite a usual custom. Fraser called for the cheque the next day and the proceeds were, divided between the two men and O’Connor.

Fraser, said the Detective-Sergeant, was a man who had had several chances in the past, for his employers had kept him in his job though they would have been well justified in dismissing him long ago. The theft on his part was a mean one. In pleading for leniency, Mr J. C. Prain, who represented Fraser, said that accused had had considerable domestic trouble in the past and was being pressed for money. He now realized the seriousness of his actions. If Fraser should be trusted with probation by ~the Court his mother was prepared to take him home and look after him, while restitution would be made. He was a first offender and counsel suggested that he should be shown leniency. Fraser was stood down until Wednesday in order that a report from the Probation Officer might be obtained. O’Connor and Saunders were remanded for sentence until August 28. “A Very Mean Theft.”

A plea of not guilty was entered by William Fullerton Campbell (Mr Gordon Reed) when he was charged with stealing one motor car petrol cap, valued at 2/6, the property of the National Mortgage and Agency Company.

Detective-Sergeant Hewitt, in prosecuting, said that though the value of the stolen article was so small it was an irritating theft from the point of view of any motorist. The driver had his car parked in the Crescent and the accused was observed stealing the petrol cap. Campbell went to the opposite side of the street and disappeared. He was interviewed later by the police whom he informed he had purchased the cap on the evening in quest--10 Evidence along the lines of the De-tective-Sergeant’s opening remarks was given by Mr J. S. C. Marshall. Mr Reed: But you would never swear that was your cap, would you, Mr Marshall ? Witness: If you let me try it on my car I’ll soon tell you. Bert Gerald Winders, an employee of the National. Mortgage and Agency Company, said that when he happened to look out the window he noticed the accused fiddling around the back of Mr Marshall’s car. Witness was suspicious and he and Mr Marshall went across the road towards accused. A cap was found just sitting on Campbell’s petrol tank. To Mr Reed: He recognized Campbell that night. Cecil Barnett, employed at Tappers garage, who was in the Crescent on the night in question, said he saw Campbell and his car there. _ Ronald Nelson Sloan, a service station employee, said the accused came into the station on the particular night and bought a petrol cap. . Another witness, a mechanic, maentified the cap (produced) as that belonging to Mr Marshall’s car which he knew well. , , To Mr Reed: He was.prepared to swear positively that the cap belonged to Mr Marshall. . Detective Hill who made inquiries into the theft, said Campbell stated he had not been near his car in the Crescent from 5.30 p.m. until well after 10 p.m. when witness interviewed him in the Crescent. To Mr Reed: The accused said he had bought a cap that night. Mr Reed submitted that a prima facie case had not been established, but the Court held against counsel. Accused, in evidence, denied the theft. He said his car was parked in the Crescent on the night in question. There was no cap on the petrol tank, for it had been stolen or lost a week previously. The last occasion he was near the car was about 5.30 p.m. or 6 o’clock. Witness detailed at length his movements from that hour.

To the Detective-Sergeant: The other men must have been mistaken. He had not ben shrewd enough to build up an alibi. He could not explain why the missing cap was found on his tank.

Bari Strang, a milkman of Invercargill, said he had driven Campbell into town on the particular night. He left the accused about 8.30 p.m. and met him again about 10.30 p.m. His Worship said that the accused had been positively identified and the cap was stolen. There was no question in the Court’s mind that Campbell had stolen it. The theft was a very mean one and the accused would be sentenced to three months’ imprisonment.