THEFT OF BLANKETS

Taranaki Daily News, 14 November 1934, Page 2

THEFT OF BLANKETS

PUNIHO MAN CONVICTED. ACQUITTED ON BURGLARY CHARGE At yesterday’s sessions of the Supreme Court at New Plymouth Harry Brunsden, a casual labourer, who has resided some time at Puniho, was convicted of theft from a dwelling house but acquitted on a major charge of breaking and entering.' The jury returned its verdict in accordance with instructions from Mr. Justice Smith without leaving the box. The hearing occupied three-quarters of an hour. Mr. R. H. Quilliam appeared for the Crown and Mr. St. Leger Reeves for Brunsden.

Having heard evidence for the prosecution, the judge intimated that there was reasonable grounds for doubt that the accused had actually broken and entered the dwelling house from which the theft was committed, and on agreement from the defending counsel that the minor charge of stealing from a dwelling house would not be denied he directed the jury as to the verdict. The prosecution arose from the theft of a pair of blankets from the house of Mrs. E. M. Shotter at Puniho between August 13 and August 31 of this year when Mrs. Shotter was on holiday and the house was unoccupied. Mr. Quilliam, outlining the case for the prosecution, said that Mrs. Shotter had discovered the loss of the blankets on her return. Before leaving her house, she would say in evidence, she closed the windows but had not locked them. The charge of breaking, entering and theft, to be substantiated, must show that Brunsden had actually opened the window by which entrance was effected to the house; the alternative charges were that he had stolen from a dwelling house, that he had stolen, or that he had received the blankets. The accused had made a statement to the police at Rahotu admitting the theft of the blankets. Mrs. Ethel Mary Shotter said she left her house at Puniho unoccupied between August 13 and August 31 while she was on a holiday. She locked both back and front doors and the side window, but only closed the front windows. On her return she missed the blankets which were on her bed when she left. She identified the blankets produced ,in court as those belonging to her. Nothing else was missing from the house. She knew Brunsden. To Mr. Reeves: I was in a slight hurry the morning I went away. I saw that the windows were closed. There were other things of value in the house which might have been valuable to other people. Constable A. Ruston, Rahotu, said he had made inquiries after receiving a complaint and approached Brunsden on October 5 while he was working in a paddock. When he saw him Brunsden threw away a sugar-bag containing the blankets. He later made and signed a statement admitting theft of the blankets. No evidence was called for the defence. Shortly after Mr. Reeves had opened his address to the jury His Honour intervened, remarking that as Mrs. Shotter had admitted being in a hurry on the morning of her departure there was the possibility that the window had not been quite closed. , , , Brunsden was remanded for sentence until this morning.