Theft Of Cattle Admitted

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31119, 23 July 1966, Page 22

Theft Of Cattle Admitted

(N.Z. Press Association) INVERCARGILL, July 22.

A 22-year-old Dutchman, who admitted stealing more than 50 head of cattle in the North Island and obtaining an u t i li t y vehicle by false pretences, jumping bail in Taumaranui and escaping after being arrested in Gore, appeared in the Invercargill Magistrate’s Court. He is Paul Rene de Ryk. He pleaded guilty before Mr W. M. Willis, S.M., to five charges of theft of livestock, three charges of false pretences, and charges of escaping from lawful custody, stealing a set

of number plates and stealing a trailer worth £5O. He was convicted on all charges and remanded to July 27 for probation report and sentence. The livestock theft charges involved the “rustling” of 25 dry dairy cows and 12 heifers worth £1295 at Owhango on April 19, stealing four cows worth £lOB from Frankton on April 9. three steer calves worth £53 5s from Te Awamutu on April 21, eight steer calves worth £ll2 at Te Awamutu on the same date and six cows worth £135 at Cambridge on April 19. Detective-Sergeant E. M. Jones said De Ryk had entered an agreement with a Taumarunui farmer to become a sharemilker early this year. He was to pay a deposit of £750, the rest in April. He paid the deposit with a cheque which had not been

honoured and sold cattle from the farm to obtain money when the farmer began to put pressure on him. He was interviewed by Taumaranui police and was remanded on bail but failed to appear on May 2. He was arrested in Gore on July 8.

Livestock was taken from saleyards in Te Awamutu and Frankton and sold by De Ryk, said Detective-Sergeant Jones. On April 28, at Te Rapa, De Ryk called at a garage where he was known and bought a 1961 utility truck worth £995. He told the salesmen that

he had just sold a herd of cows but had left his cheque book at home. He drove off in the vehicle with the promise to forward the cheque by mail next day. He did not send it.

At Kopu. near Thames, he stole a trailer and headed south.

At Wellington De Ryk paid the fare for his vehicles to Picton on the Aramoana with two cheques, knowing he had no money to meet the payments.

He travelled to Balclutha and worked at the Finegand freezing works, where he stole number plates from a car and put them on his vehicle.

The Gore police arrested him on July 8. He broke out of the Gore police station on July 11 but was recaptured within hours, said DetectiveSergeant Jones.