THEFT OF PETROL.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20231, 15 February 1934, Page 5

THEFT OF PETROL.

Couple Caught in Night Chase. GAOL TERMS IMPOSED. Per Press Association. NEW PLYMOUTH, February 14. The story of a chase in the dark after a man and a woman who had been found syphoning benzine from motorcars was related in the Police Court today, when Lucille Chatterina Anita Williamson and William Wilscn Pratt were charged with stealing six gallons of benzine. A taxi-driver discovered the couple in the drive of the Boys’ High School. They drove away in a car and he chased them into a blind street and drew his car across the entrance in an attempt to trap them. They dashed past, but the taxi pursued them through the town and captured them in Devon Street East. Pratt was taken back to the school, where he denied the theft, but later he offered to pay for the benzine. The police were called, but through a mistake in the message hurried to the Girls’ High School. After waiting for some time the captors allowed the thieves to go free. From the description given the police arrested the couple at the Fitzroy motor camp. Both pleaded guilty. They had been hawking drapery as man and wife, but the woman was married to another man and was living apart from him. The police alleged that the couple left a trail of offences behind them in the course of their travels, but the hearing of several of these charges was adjourned. Pratt was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, and Mrs Williamson to one month.