PLEA REVERSED

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19670, 12 December 1933, Page 10

PLEA REVERSED

RECEIVED STOLEN GOODS BICYCLE STEALING COMMON Before Mr C. R. Orr-Walker, S.M., at the Timaru Magistrate's Court yesterday, Gordon Alexander Gillespie was charged that, on or about March 30, 1933, he received from Wallie Hessell a bicycle wheel and gear wheel valued at £l/15/-, before then stolen, knowing them to have been dishonestly obtained. Accused pleaded not guilty. On the application of Senior-Ser-geant Mathieson, a remand until Thursday was granted. Bail was allowed accused in self £2o and one surety of £25, The case came before the court again in the afternoon, when SeniorSergeant Mathieson intimated that accused desired to alter his plea to Magistrate: You plead guilty to having received these goods, knowing them to have been stolen. Accused: Yes. ... Senior-Sergeant Mathieson said that on December 18, a man named Low, the owner of the bicycle, had left it outside the Grosvenor Hotel. The machine was then practically a new one, and was valued at £lO/10/-. Later he discovered that the bicycle was missing, and reported the matter to the police. Some time later it was discovered that part of the bicycle had been thrown into a pond at Saltwater Creek. Though inquiries were made at the time, it was not until Sunday night that Constable Hogg had been able to sheet the matter home to the accused. Hessell, the other man concerned, was still at large. Hessell had taken the parts of the bicycle to the accused, and had told him they had been stolen. Accused had put the parts given to him on to his own bicycle. The Magistrate: Accused did not throw the other parts away?

Common Offence. Senior-Sergeant Mathieson: “No. The parts thrown away were recovered, and handed back to the owner. He went on to say that bicycle stealing in Timaru was common. Sometimes the Magistrate had been able to check it by dealing with the cases which had come before him: but usually it broke out again. The police were receiving reports daily of thefts of bicycles. It was true that people were somewhat careless, but this did not justify stealing. The accused was a married man, and had six children. He was unemployed, and in poor circumstances. Accused had a long list and was at present serving a term of probation for theft. The Magistrate: What are the circumstances of the last case? Constable Hogg: Some tubs were stolen from an empty house, but that was since the bicycle was stolen. The Magistrate: How has he been behaving? , _ . Senior-Sergeant Mathieson: I have not been able to get hold of the Probation Officer. „ . ~ The Magistrate : I think I should have that. , _ , . . Accused: I have not been in a hotel since I was prohibited, and I have not been out at night except with the permission of the Probation Officer. I have reported to him every week The Magistrate said that he did not wish to send accused to gaol, but the theft of a bicycle was a serious matter. Accused would be admitted to probation for a period of 18 months from date, and he would be required to renew his prohibition order when It expired. An order was made for the return of the goods to the owner.