COAL STOLEN.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20283, 18 April 1934, Page 8

COAL STOLEN.

Young Man’s Theft From 40,000-ton Heap. STOPPED BY CONSTABLE. Reference to thefts of coal from the Railway Department’s heap of 40,000 tons at the Opawa Road crossing was made by Senior-Sergeant Fox in the Magistrate’s Court this morning. He was setting out the ease against a twenty-year-old labourer who was caught with 2s 6d worth of coal in a sack when stopped by a constable last evening for cycling without a light. The young man, who pleaded guilty to the theft of a small quantity of coal, was admitted to probation for twelve months by Mr H. P. Lawry, S.M. The Magistrate ordered the suppression of the name of accused. Senior-Sergeant Fox said that at 7.30 last evening Constable Simpson was cycling along Opawa Road when he saw two cyclists without lights and each of them with a sack on his handlebars. The constable endeavoured to stop the men, but they separated. He followed the accused, who, he found, had a sack of coal. Accused admitted taking the coal from the railway yards at the Opawa Road crossing, where there was a heap of 40,000 tons. The Railway Department had complained of thefts of coal from that heap, and there had been one or two previous convictions; the police had kept a watch there from time to time in conjunction with railway employees. The accused, who was one of a family of ten, eight of whom were at home, had not been before the Court previously. The young man had said that he was taking the coal to assist the household, where there was no fuel. The other cyclist had not yet been located, but probably would be shortly. The Magistrate said that he would admit the accused to probation for twelve months on the theft charge, and in the circumstances the fine for cycling without a light would be reduced to 10s and costs.