MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 191, 8 May 1919, Page 5

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

, THEFT OF A MOMR-CAjl CONFESSION OF GUILT At the Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr. F. V. Frazcr, S.M., two charges of theft of motor-cars were preferred against Charles Edward Rossiter Ruddick. On March 11 it is alleged -that he stole a Ford car, valued at £200, the properly of Ernest Smith Baldwin, and it is further alleged that on April 26, at Wanganui, he stole a Ford car valued at £240,' tho property of the Wanganui Meat Freezing Co., Ltd. Chiof-Delective Boddam prosecuted, and Mr. W. G. Mellish appeared for the defendant 1 .

Robort James Moore, live stock buyer for tho Wanganui Meat Freezing Co., Ltd., said- that the company provided him with a motor-car to facilitate his work. On April 26 he had tho car in j Hill Street, Wanganui, and left it there whilst -making/a call. On his return he found that tho car had disappeared. He could not find any trace of it, so hej communicated with the police. He again saw the car on Tuesday last at the polico station, when he identified it as his car. i ' Detective-Sergeant Andrews said that on May 1, at 5.40 p.m., in company with Plain-Clothes Constable Black, ho saw the "accused with a five-seater Ford motor-car in Pirie Street. Accused said it was his car and that his riauio was Graham. Accused later stated that the car was not his, but had been loaned to him by a friend, particulars of whom accused rofused to give/. The car was identified by Mr. Moore as his property. v Tho accused pleaded guilty to the theft of Mr. Moore's car, and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.

On the charge of theft of Mr. Baldwin's car, accused was remanded till this morning.

STEWARD, FINED FOR THEFT. A steward belonging to tho liner Raranga named Edward James M'Lean appeared to answer a charge of having stolen a sum of' £2 7s. 6d., the property of Louis Le Lamar, linen-keeper of the same vessel. The polico evidence was to the effect that a' fellow-steward named Sharp, who slept in the same cabin with Le Lamar, saw M'Lean enter the cabin, interfere with tho chest of drawers, and go to Le Lamar's trousers. He then heard a jingling of money. . Accused left l the cabin, and Sharp woke Le Lamar arid informed him. of the, occurrence. Le Lamar got up and left the cabin. Subsequently a conversation took place between Le Laniar and accused, and the former said he would accept 255. and call it square. ' ~ ■ . _ Detective-Sergeant'Cox gave evidence as to arresting the accused. Mr. W. 6. Mellish, who appeared for the accused, said that his client knew nothing about the offence. . The nccused, in evidence, said that on May 1 he had been .drinking all and returned to the ship with some whisky. It was while they were drinking that Le Lamar accused Haim- of- the theft, and said that he would take 255. to square the matter. ' To the acting-sub-inspector accused said that LeiLamar made the first offer Of 255. before brenkfast on the morning following the night of tho thefti- The accused had been dfinking on the morning of May 1, and was locked up on board the ship >Jr tho remainder of the day. He could not remember anything that happened, but denied having entered Le Lamnr's cabin'. His Worship entered a conviction, and fined accused £2, and ordered him to refund tho money stolon* £2 7s. 6d.

THEFT OF A HAT/AND A COAT. , James Herbert Carr pleaded guilty to a charge of having stolen a hat valued at ,£3 17s. 6d. and a coat and 6carf valued at M, the property of Mr. H. W. de Castro and Mr. Melville Wilkins respecti'vely. From the statement tendered by the polico it appears that Mr. do Castro and Mr. Wilkins attended a danco at the Alexandra Hall on May 1, and left the articles stolen in the cloak room. Subsequently the nccused was arrested with the articles in his possession. The accused stated that he attended a dance at the New Century. Hall on the same night, and had his hat and overcoat stolen. He then visited the Alexandra Hall, where he removed tho articles mentioned in, the information. ,On the doctor's advice he was not permitted to work, and was at present living on a pension of .£6 10s. per month. Ho asked His Worship to give him a chance. His Worship remarked that the accused had previously been in" trouble, but would be given' another chance. Accused hud been to the war and had not yet recovered sufficiently to follow any employment. In the circumstances he would be . convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon within three years. During tho period he is to be under the supervision of the probation officer.

OTHER CASES. \ A seaman belonging to the ship Tainul named James Scott apeared on remand to answer a charge of having been absent without leave, The purser of the vessel stated that Scott had given co'nsideri&le trouble, and since the vessel arrived in Wellington he had been absent from duty on two occasions. The accused remarked that he did not intend to work for nothing, and if ho boarded the vessel again it would be in the capacity of a. passenger. His Worship imposed a sentence of fourteen days' imprisonment, and directed thai) the accused bo placed aboard the vessel before she sailed. A plea of guilty was entered by Erick Johnson and Alice Learmoth when charged with having boarded the oceangoing ship Kahalah without obtaining a permit from the military authorities. Acting-Sub-Inspector Emerson said that the defendants were found on the vessel in a drunken condition, and when questioned stated that they had been invited to visit the ship by a membor of the crew. ■ His Worship entered a conviction in each case, and imposed" a fine of ,£1 on each defendant. John Hunt admitted that ho was absent from duty without leave on the liner Tniriui. He explained that he had been drinking, and was in no fit condition to go on duty. His Worship entered a conviction, and. ordered accused to pay expenses amounting to £2 7s. He was also ordered to be placed on board the vessel.

A youth named Mnngua Connick Bain was remanded till this morning to answer a charge of having stolen articles of jewellery and clothing, valued at £U, the property of Dudley Stuart Tate. The offence is alleged to have taken place at Lower Hutt on March 8.

Two first offenders for drunkenness were fined 10s. each, a third was fined 55., a fourth was convicted and 'discharged, and a fifth was convicted and ordered to pay medical expenses amounting to 21s. -