Labourer Fined For Theft Of Pig

Chronicle (Levin), 19 April 1949, Page 4

Labourer Fined For Theft Of Pig

♦How a police sergeanf arid coristribie had followed the'blood trail left by a pig which ha.d been kil'ed and 'stolen, and 'how it jidd 1M. t'O accused's house, was recourited iri the Magistrate'S GOrirt,-. Levhi; yesterday before Messrs J. W. Rimmer andvj. ,B. Grey, J.P.'s, wheri Ba,ward joseph Lewis, labourer, of Ohau, wds charged , with stealing ,a pig valued at £3 frOni the Kuku-Mana^ kau Co-Oper'gtiye Hairy Gqrripany.Accused pldaded guilty. ; Acting Sdrgearit V. G'. Ar'nold told ihe court that 'ori Sunday ;riiorning the m^riager Of -the pig:.farm a'l-s tached to ihe company, Mr..- Helge Bjarhsen, :;.had gone to the farm arid fObrid" tMtv Orie.r-.Of Me. PjgS had been killed toiithexstyr: iand i a-ken away.5 „The po licdj Md j beeri notihed and inv^t i^atf#A shoyred that the anirrial/.had l|eeri , kiried. in •tlie sty and allowed.'to. /bleqa Outside.- A trail of blood led tp t^e aecused's house. It appeared 'fliat iri tne early hours Of Briri;d^y m&rriirig Lewis and others had been drinking in the house., - A6cused had left the party for • aborit . an hOur and on his re'turn had asked ari acquaintance if he kriew atriythirig about cooking 'd pig-.- A .rirb had been lit outsi'de the Eoiis£, pre^ paratory to skinniri§ the Oig, when he police- arrived. , Lewis had pteviously ' be'e'ri befOr'e ths court, aithough not.on a ehar'fe. of- theft,commented Sergearit ArriOId. He asked fOr ari. orde'r for the return of the pig. Asked. if he had. anything to say, Lewis denibd killirig the pig-v . He a'dniitted tliat he. had; helped tO caf'ry it tO His houSe',-, "b,tit hc had not killed .it. : iff«- . It was a very serious' Offerice and aecused V/as liable- toi d firie df £2Q or imprisonmerit fOr -six nonths, remarked Mr. Rimmei'. He would, however, takO the opporturiity of warning Lewis and fine him £5.- He grarited ihe order fOr-the rdtriffl. of the pig.