HOUSE BROKEN INTO.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 April 1926, Page 9

HOUSE BROKEN INTO.

INTENT TO COMMIT A CRIME. ACCUSED ADMITS HIS GUILT. A story of daylight breaking aud entering into a private dwelling was told in the court at Eltham yesterday, when Frederick Gear, labourer, married, was committed to the Supreme Court at Wellington for sentence on his plea of guilty to a charge that 4>n March 29, at Mountain Road, Eltham, he did break and enter by day the dwelling house of Jacob Whittington with intent to commit a crime therein.

Messrs. J. W. Stubbs and J. Phillips, J.P.’s, were on the Bench.

Whittington said he had known accused for two or three years. He had been at his residence often in the course of delivering meat. On March 29 witness was working in the garden. He left his house between 12 and 1 o’clock, locking the doors. The windows were fastened, except the kitchen window, which was closed hut not locked. He had taken these precautions because he had been robbed many times. He returned to the house at 3.30, when he noticed that the bottom sash of the kitchen window was right up. He heard someone tramping about in the house and hurried to the back door. When he unlocked the door he heard a noise behind him, and looking round saw accused getting out of the window. Accused fell on his hands and knees, and after crawling along for a few yards rose up and ran away along the Mountain Road, going out the front gate. Witness followed and saw accused run along the road two or three chains. Accused was dressed in a grey suit and hat with black band on it He had no doubt whatever that accused was the man who came out of his house. Witness did not miss anything from the house, having hidden his money. Florence Newlove, residing on Mountain Road, gave evidence as to seeing a man coming out of Mr. Whittington’s front gate on the afternoon of the 29th and running down the road. He was dressed in a grey suit, being thin and not tall. At the police station on Saturday last witness identified accused as the man out of seven who were present. James Glashan Jarvis, farmer, residing on the Eltham Road, said he was driving a car on the Mountain Road on Mar<|h 29, about 3.30 in the afternoon, when he saw a man running in the direction of Eltham. Witness identified him at the police station last Saturday as the man ho had seen. Constable Townsend, of Eltham, said 'he saw accused at King Edward Street walking towards Rawhitiroa Road, where he lived. Accused denied the charge of entering Whittington’s house, and also that he had been on the Mountain Road that afternoon. On being searched no money was found on him. He said he had been about town all the afternoon, part of the time at the billiard room, but on inquiry witness was informed that accused had not been in the room that afternoon. Aceused was dressed in a grey suit and was wearing a grey felt hat with a black band. On being asked how a small tear had occurred in the cloth of his coat, he said it had been done by barb-wire some days previous.

Accused pleaded guilty and was com mitted to the Supreme Court at Wei lington for sentence.