INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
DIRECTION FROM JUDGE VERDICT OF NOT GUILTY THEFT OF PLANE ALLEGED. [ Per Press Association] PALMERSTON N.» July 22. Directed by Mr. Justice Blair at the conclusion of the Crown’s case to return a verdict of not guilty, a jury hearing a charge of theft preferred against John Edward Owens, an American, aged 41 years, in the Supreme Court acted accordingly today. Owens had been arraigned on a charge of stealing at Palmerston North a model aeroplane valued at £3O, the property of Mrs. Isobel Dorr McGregor. “As far as this case is concerned,’’ His Honour proceeded, “it is at most a. case ot suspicion. There are circumstances about it which are distinctly in Owen’s favour. We cannot look at matters which are not In evidence in this case and it seems it is my duty to direct you that there is not sufficient evidence to call upon the defence to answer the charge. 1 ask you to take my direction. I have discussed the matter with the counsel, and the Crown Prosecutor agrees with 1 me that this is the proper course ”
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WC19360724.2.57
Bibliographic details
Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 174, 24 July 1936, Page 7
Word Count
184INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 174, 24 July 1936, Page 7
Using This Item
NZME is the copyright owner for the Wanganui Chronicle. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International licence (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of NZME. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.