BICYCLE TAKEN

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 83, 22 June 1945, Page 5

BICYCLE TAKEN

CURPRIT FINED £10 PUTTINCI DOWN THE —— ■ Charged with, unlawfully converting a' valued at £10 ? " the properly of Tui to liis own use f John Clifford Walter of was convicted in the Whakatane Court on Wednesday and fined the sum of £10. An order was also made for restitution of the sumi of 14/- the value of parts stolen from the machine. Messrs G. A. Brabant and: C. H. Christensen J.Ps. were on the Bench. Accused pleaded guilty .to the charge. For the police Sergeant Farrell stated that recently a had , been laid by the owner of the machine in question that hi.s bicycle had been stolen. Investigations had been made and it had- finally been traced to defendant who admitted the conversion. 1 Appearing for accused Mr B. S. Barry stated that his client had lost his bicycle, which he had left in the bike sta'nd and so had taken the one iii'question ' but with no intention ol' stealing it. \ Intimating that the -offence was a serious one ? and that accused already had two convictions i'or thcft j the Bench passed sentence as above. Stressing the fact that lie thought the penalty was too for the conversion of a Mr Barry said that he diid not think the S.M. would have inflictcd such a heavy o'rie.. Replying, Mr ( Brabant said that the-clause governing the olTence provided for a line of £50 or three months' imprisonment and as the Sergeant had pointed out that were some twenty-four reports of bicycles stolen in Whakatane at present on hand, he did not think the fine of £10 excessive.