THEFTS IN COUNTRY.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20537, 12 February 1935, Page 8

THEFTS IN COUNTRY.

Series of Offences Cleared Up in Court. A series of thefts of wheat and goods in the country in 1933 were cleared up in the Magistrate’s Court this morning when Harold Joseph Henry, 39 years of age, a shopkeeper, of Ferry Road, and James Cadman Ashworth, a contractor, 39 years of age, of Redcliffs, pleaded guilty to the theft of petrol and oil valued at £ls the property of the Malvern County Council, on March 22, 1933, at Courtenay. Henry was further charged with stealing at Somerton wheat valued at £5 4s; with stealing wheat at Springston, valued at £6 6s; -with stealing wheat at Tai Tapu, valued at £6 6s, and with stealing wheat at Norwood valued at £3 18s. A plea of guilty was entered on all counts by Henry.

On the joint charge the accused were sentenced by Mr E. D. Mosley, S.M., to six months’ imprisonment to be concurrent with a sentence of twelve months’ imprisonment they are at present serving. On the othef charges Henry was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment on each charge, the sentences to be concurrent with his present sentence.

Detective Thomas said the accused had both been sentenced in the Supreme Court to twelve months’ imprisonment for breaking, entering and theft. The accused had a motor truck and they had gone around the country stealing wheat. Most of it had been sold. Property valued at £5 6s had been recovered from Henry. The present charges formed part of a series of offences on which the accused had been sentenced in the Supreme Court.