THEFT CHARGES CONCLUDED

Taranaki Daily News, 3 October 1929, Page 7

THEFT CHARGES CONCLUDED

EVIDENCE AGAINST L. E. SMITH. ACCUSED COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. . •• \ . r After hearing evidence for the police lasting two and a half days ■on 14 charges of breaking and entering and theft in New Plymouth and Inglewood, Leonard Edward Smith pleaded not guilty at the New Plymouth Police Court yesterday and reserved his defence to all charges. He was committed by Mr. R. W. Tate, S.M., for trial at the; next session of the Supreme Court in New Plymouth. - . . _ The accused was granted bail on the application of Mr. A. A. Bennett'on his own recognisance of £3OO and two sureties of £l5O A condition of bail was that accused is to report daily to the police. ,* ‘ ‘ Cross-examination by Mr. Bennett of Eileen Elliott, who had given evidence, the previous afternoon, occupied nearly all the morningi The cross-examination was on the same lines as that of R. J. V. Elliott the previous morning and consisted of questions testing the witness’ memory of minute details of the occurrences on the nights of the various thefts alleged against Smith; . . Sergt. McGregor, whose evidence concluded the police case, said he recovered the tyre lever and bolt-cutters produced in court from Elliott’s garage on September 3. He had examined the and Co.’s building previously mentioned and had found marks as if someone piping under the window in Stainton had climbed down it.- The door of the office had apparently been opened with considerable force. On the arrest of Smith on September 2, Smith had said •to Elliott at the police station: “Say. nothing. Know nothing.” -