PROBATION GRANTED

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 655, 6 May 1929, Page 1

PROBATION GRANTED

COUNSEL’S PLEA SUCCESSFUL THEFT OF BENZINE “Probation is no punishment,” said Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., when Walter Stanley Brown was charged with theft at the Police Court this morning. "The man just walks out of the court as he came in.” rpHE magistrate, however, harkened to the plea of Mr. R. A. Singei% and Brown, an engineer, aged 28, was admitted to probation for two years. The detailed charge against him was that on March 16 he stole Si cases of benzine from W. J. Petehell. Mr. Singer pleaded guilty on his behalf. According to Chief-Detective Hammond. Brown was engaged in carrying. He had taken on 15 cases of benzine in Auckland to be carted to Mr. Petehell, the storekeeper at Raglan. “He got as far as Ngaruawahia,” continued the chief-detective, "and got rid of several cases at a petrol station, borrowing £2 on them.” Mr. Hammond was of the opinion that Brown must have used some of the remainder. “None of it was delivered at Raglan,” he said. Mr. Singer described the trip as full of accidents. The truck had eventually overturned and Brown had been taken to hospital. The Chief-Detective: That was on the way back. “Brown has quite a long story,” continued Mr. Singer. “He says that some of the cases were leaking. As a matter of fact, his mentality is partly responsible. He bought the truck on time payment and is not really fitted for this class of work.” Brown was a married man with one child. Restitu.ion in full was ordered by the magistrate.