SUIT LENGTHS. STOLEN

Southland Times, Issue 23228, 17 June 1937, Page 6

SUIT LENGTHS. STOLEN

NUMBER SOLD IN INVERCARGILL ACCUSED PLEADS GUILTY Pleading guilty in the Magistrate's Court at Dunedin yesterday to breaking and entering the warehouse of F. H. King and Co. on six occasions and stealing in all 210 suit lengths, valued at £5Ol, Owen David Helm, aged 24, who was represented by Mr B. S. Irwin, was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.

The charges were as follows:—On or. about April 2, breaking and entering and theft of 30 suit lengths (valued at £70); April 16, 33 suit lengths (£90); May 6, 32 suit lengths (£80); May 20, 31 suit lengths (£81); May 27, 24 suit lengths (£60); June 3, 60 suit lengths (£120). Evidence was given by Ernest Ricardio Smith, a director of F. H. King and Co. Ltd., who stated that the firm’s warehouse was situated on the third floor of Hallenstein Bros.’ buildings, at the corner of the Octagon and Princes street. Witness was also a travelling representative for his firm. On June 2 last, while in Invercargill on his firm’s business, witness called at the shop of a Mr Hollander, and there saw cloth which he identified as belonging to his firm. As the result of further inquiries at Invercargill witness identified five other pieces of cloth belonging to his firm.

On June 5, the witness proceeded, he called at the detective office, Dunedin, and there saw a quantity of cloth—some in suit lengths—which he identified as his firm’s cloth and as cloth stolen from their warehouse. An examination of his firm’s stock disclosed that cloth valued approximately at £5OO had been stolen. An examination was made of the firm’s premises, and it disclosed that a door leading from the warehouse to the goods lift had been sprung sufficiently to enable a person to undo the door bolts. No one had authority to remove the cloth. The cloth was the property of his firm, and was valued at £lBO. Detective J. C. Russell said that after the accused was located and brought to the detective office he was duly warned and asked what he had done with some suit lengths he had taken from F. H. King’s premises. He stated that he had sold 130 lengths in the Invercargill district and still retained some in his rooms in Dunedin. The latter cloth lengths were later taken possession of and were those now produced to the Court. The following day the accused made a statement admitting the offences with which he was now charged. He said that about three months ago he had broken into the warehouse by climbing up the liftwell. The accused said he undid the door of the lift which gave access to the warehouse. He admitted breaking in on about six occasions, and in all stole about 210 suit lengths and sold 130 in Invercargill at an average price of 30/-. Witness said that the dates mentioned in the informations were supplied to him by the accused as being the approximate dates on which he broke into F. H. King’s warehouse. The accused also informed witness of the quantity of suit lengths he stole on each occasion. The accused gave every assistance in clearing up the matter and was quite frank with witness. Helm pleaded guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. He was admitted to bail on the charge of breaking and entering and theft of suit lengths (valued at £120) in his own recognisance of £lOO and two sureties of £5O, conditional upon his reporting twice daily to the police. On the other charge he was admitted to bail in his own recognisance of £5O on each charge.