Charge Against Two Men And Woman

Chronicle (Levin), 7 April 1949, Page 8

Charge Against Two Men And Woman

Press Assaciatton) '

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WELLIN GTON, April 6. Evidenee that a group of intruders emashed windows, a door and furnishings to the value of £100, with feiiee palings at No. 16 Rolleston Street, Wellington, was given by witnesses in the Magistrate 's Court today. Two men and a woman faced a series of eharges arising out of the incident said to have occurred on the night of Mareh 14. When the time for adjourning the Court .eame with several witnesses still to be heard, the police proseeutor, Subinspector W. J. K. Brown, said he had strong evidenee . of intimidation of police witnesses ht the Court during the day. Re ashed the Magistrate; Mr! Ctoulding, S.M., not to renew bail for the two male aeeused out of eonsideration for the witnesses' safety. This request was granted. The adjournment is till next Wednesday. The aeeused are Wallace Reid Wells, aged 37, motor driver, of Edinburgh Avenuej Olive May Wahren, alias Olive Gaskin, aged 34, cashier, of Edinburgh Aveuue; and William Albert Gaines, aged 50, salesman, The Terrace. The three were charged pointly with breaking and entering by night the dwelling house of Eranees Tvennedy Miles, 16 Rolleston Street, with intent to eommit a crime, with assanlting Eranees Kennedv Miles, Charles Edward Addley and Delzil Marv Lee, with wilfullv damaging household furnishings and littings to the value of £100, thereby committing mischief, with wilfullv interfering with the telephone system in the house. Wahren was also charged with using indecent language. Mr. J. A. Grace, deputising for Mr. G. C. Kent, appeared for Wahren. Mr. R. G. M. Macgoun represented the two men. Evidenee is being talren only on the eharges of mischief and brealcing and entering which are indictable. The remainder are summary eharges and were adjourned till after the hearing of the other two. Franees Kennedy Miles, marrled, aged 29, said cthat about 10 p.m. on Mareh 14 she was in her sitting room with two friends, Anne Morton and "Dal" Lee. Some people eame to the door looking for Mr. Hislop and called out for hijn. Thev broke the lock on the door. Witness had never seen them before. There were six of them, the three aeeused and three others. Thev had palings off a, fenee. Tn the sitting room they brokp with stichs all the mirrors and vases, two small tables and a leg off an armchair. Windows were broken from the outside. She did not know who broke the windows but it was not the aeeused. One of the six said thev would kill Hislop if they found him. . Wells threw the armchair, said witness. Her girl friend had a cut on her head and said it was from the chair being thrown at her. A eabinet radio set. in another room was broken to pieees. The apnroximafe value of damage was £190. She called ber husband by telephone and told him to eome home at onee. Witness added that when she went to use the telephone again it was knoeked from her hand. The wires were then in two pieees. She had been ringing the police the seeond time. She ran outside to hnd another telephone. When near Wallace Street she saw Mr. Hislop 's car eoming. Her husband was with him and went inside with her, but someone she later learnt was Wells, .eame up and began fighting with Hislop in Rolleston Street. Witness said her handbag was in the kitehen on a beneh. Tt was still there afterwards, but £6 or £7 was missing from it. After referring to the arrival of the poliee, witness said she knew of no reason whv six people should. eome into her house and break it up. Dalzil May Lee, who was visiting Mrs. Miles, deseribed the smashing of

the furniture. She said she thought the woman was more aetive in this than the men. She knew Games by sight and was^surprised to see him there. Sub-Inspector Brown asked witness whether she had been speaking to Gaines in Court this morning of whether he had spoken to her about the c&se recently. .Witness replied "no" in-eaeh case. Charles Edward Addley, aged 15, of 18 'Rolleston Street, said that on the Uight of Mareh 14 he saw six people enter No. 16 Rolleston Street. The ineh had sticks about three feet long. Witness went to his own gate and Wells grabbed him by the shoulder, threw him to the gutter and kicked him in the' ribs. Erancis Claude Owen, stofeman, 9 Rolleston Street, said he was in bed at 10.20 on the night. of the incident. He heard the breaking of glass and went to. see the cause of it. When he saw a man on the ground being assaulted, he rang for the police. Later froin his window he saw a heavy eream car drive along Rolleston Street. He saw a ear similar in ctdour to the eream sedan about 3 p.m. this afternoon. It was opposite the Court building. Joyce Eranees Carlyle, 19 Rolleston Street, also deseribed what she saw of the smashing. She said it went on for about 10 minutes till the arrival of Ilislop. She saw two men run away after the smashing up was finished. The Magistrate then adjourned the hearing till next Wedensday. SubInspector Brown said he had strong evidenee of intimidation of police witntsses at the Court during the day by the aeeused Gaines. "Gaines had been seen by Sergeant Quirk before the hearing began, talking to Miss Lee, when she was crying, " he said. "A few minutes ago Joseph Coutts, a weilknown criminal, was seen talking to Miss Lee, who was crying again." Sub-Inspector Brown qnestioned whether it would be safe to release the two male aeeused. Mr. Macgoun said that having to report to the police daily had interfered considerably with Gaines' earning power and counsel had been asked to J apply for that t'o be dispensed with. The removal of bail altogether would De even worse in that regard and so he opposed the sub-inspeetor 's application. The Magistrate renewed bail for Wahren but not for r.hP. two men. j