YOUNG MAN’S SERIES OF THEFTS FROM CARS IN CUT AT NIGHT

Wanganui Chronicle, 13 December 1949, Page 7

YOUNG MAN’S SERIES OF THEFTS FROM CARS IN CUT AT NIGHT

A series of thefts from motorcars in Wanganui over recent months was ventilated in the Magistrate's Court yesterday when a young man, Walter Llewellyn Wilson, labourer, aged 23, described by Detective-ber-geant J. li. Robertson as “an inveterate petty thief who goes about stealing at nights” appeared before Mr. S. S. Preston, S.M., and admitted eight charges of theft and one of breaking and entering. On the major charge he was committed to the Supreme Court, Wellington, for sentence, and on the others was convicted and remanded, the magistrate commenting that belore accused was dealt with the Court should have the benelit of reports from the probation officer and a psychiatrist. Articles stolen included three rifles, two cameras, a gold ring, watch strap, a pair of binoculars, a stop watcn, cigarettes, chocolate and miscellaneous goods. These were all the subject of summary charges heard by the magistrate, who commented that the Court was in a difficult position because accused had yet to be dealt with by a Judge in the supreme Court. The charge on which accused was committed lor sentence was that on December 4, at Wanganui, breaking and entering by night the dwelling 01 Annie Mauae Blache It and stealing a purse and money ol a total value of £2. PURSE MISSING FROM FLAT. Giving evidence, Miss A. M. Blackett, city librarian, said she occupied a flat in Dublin Street. When sire retired to bed on the night of December 3, she locked the doors, but a window was left ajar. When she got up in the morning witness found the bathroom window was slightly raised. • The back door was umocked, but closed. Witness addea that she was convinced that the flat had been entered. A purse which had been left on the sitting room table was tnlssiiig. When interviewed accused admitted entering Miss Blackett’s flat and in a statement to the police said that he went thebe at about 3 a.m. on Sunday, December 4, said Constable C. Dudley. The statement added that accused entered by means of a bathroom window. He took a purse containing 12s 9d in silver, and left the flat by the back door.

The money had since been handed to the police for return to complainant. The accused said, however, that he had thrown the purse in the river. Referring to the summary charges, Detective-sergeant J. K. Robertson said that the earliest offence was committed on April 24, last, and the most recent on .November 19, the ’test being interspersed. All the charges concerned theft from cars, some ol which were securely locked. Other cars were not locked, but in two cases windows were broken so that the thefts could be committed. Some of the articles were taken early in the night, and others as late as 3 a.m. When interviewed by Constable Dudley on December 5, accused had one of the rifles at his home, but another rifle which he did not want had previously been found abandoned near a car in College Street. A further rifle for which accused had no use was thrown into the river, but some boys in a rowing boat later saw the butt sticking up and recovered the rifle. It was 1. nded to the police and restored to the owner. JEWELLERY LEFT IN- CAR. “In many cases other valuable property left in cars was not taken,” said the detective-sergeant. “One ear had jewellery in it valued at hundreds of pounds. Accused examined the jewellery and left It there, taking only two rings, one of which he wore. ’ The Wanganui River appeared to be the favourite depository lor anything accused did not want and his main quest seemed to be money. When approached by Constable Dudley he was truthful. In June, last, he was before the Court for stealing cash from milk bottles and was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment.

Since his release from prison accused had been working at Castlecliff and was in receipt of a weekly wage of £7. There was no suggestion that he drank and his actions could be put down to those of an inveterate petty thief who went about stealing at night. "The nature of his offences is such that I would not like to impose any penalty without seeing a report from the probation officer and also a report from a psychiatrist . . . these are not vicious thefts,” said the magistrate, convicting accused and remanding him for sentence on the summary charges.