THEFTS AT OHOPE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 42, 21 January 1944, Page 5

THEFTS AT OHOPE

KUTARERE FARMER GAOLED

JMIKVIOUS BAD KKCOUD

At the Opotiki Police Court hist Tuesday morning before Messrs J. T. Merry and C. Pipe, Justices ol the Peace, William Charles Norman, a farmer aged 1 fi, was charged that between September (>' and December IS at Oliope he stole one alarm clock valued at .17/(5 and .libs of Amber Tips tea valued at £1 2s, of a total value of £1 19s (id, the property of Olive (Mark. Accused pleaded not guilty to this charge. He was' further charged that on November 13 at Oliope lie .stole :i gent's bicycle valued, at £6, the. property of Gilbert Charles Head. Acv cused elected to be dealt with summarily and pleaded not guilty. Sergeant J. Lsbisler conducted the prosecution on behalf of the police and Mr N. V. Hodgson appeared for accused. The lirst witness Gilbert Charles Head, retired civil servant living at Ohope Beach, said that his bicycle was missed, from the motor shed which was not locked. He got in touch with the Whakatane police and gave them the number of the bicycle. He was later notified that the Opotiki police had; recoA'cred tlio bicycle. Sergeant Lsbister said that accused left Oliope on about November 19, 1943. As a result of a complaint, witness called at accused's house at Kutarcrc, about a week ago and saw a bicycle at the. real of the house. Accused Avas; found al the cowshed, and he said, that he knew nothing about the bicycle which he said belonged to a Maori, Constable McCurrach accompanied witness during the. search. They found an old disused, bicycle in the cowshed. < Outlining the second charge, Sergeant lsbister said that Mr and Mrs Clark were school tcachers living at Ohope, and on the occasion in ciues* I tion Avere away teaching in the Tikitiki district. They received word that their house at Oliope. had been broken into and. property A'alucd at about £20 stolen. The clock which was produced in court was found on accused's mantlepiccc. Sergeant lsbister said that about a Avee'k ago Constable McCurrach and lie conducted a search of a house at Kutarcrc. Accused said that the clock came Avith his belongings from Levin. He. said that he got the tea from Scliwietcr's store. Mrs Schwicters denied that the tea had. been obtained from the store, and accused then said, that it had arrived Avith his belonging.*! from LeA'in, also. In reply to a question from the bench, Sergeant lsbister said that there AA r as a long history of crime in connection Avith accused. He camo to the Whakatane. district on license after serving a term of live years' imprisonment, and there were about 30 other convictions.

Accused was convicted, on both charges and oil the charge of .stealin the. bicycle was sentenced to six months' imprisonment with hard labour, and on the other charge Avas sentenced to three months' imprisonment Avith hard labour, the terms to be accumulative. Accused requested that the terms be concurrent, but the bench said that they had purposely made the terms accumulative.