THEFT OF MOTOR-CARS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 200, 19 May 1919, Page 6

THEFT OF MOTOR-CARS

TWO YBAES , ' IMPUGNMENT.

Charles Edward Kossiter Ruddick appeared in the dock at the Supreme Court ou Saturday morning to answer a charge of theft of a Ford motor-cur, the. property of E. S. Baldwin, and valued at .£2OO. Hie Honour the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) was on the Bench. Mr. P. S. K. Macassey, of the Crown Law Office, appeared for the Crown, and the accused was not represented by counsel. Mr. F. Blackburn was foreman of the jury. Mr. Macassey, in opening, eaid the iacis were simple. Mr. Baldwin ivas the owner of a five-seater Ford car, aad on March 11, at 9 a.m., he left his car on tho stand in Hunter Street, and on going for the car about 6 p.m. he found it had disappeared. It appeared that during the day the accused took the car away, and on March 24, representing himself as an agent, sold the car for .£IOO, and received' r. crossed cheque for the amounx Hβ, told the buyer, Mr. J. A. Eyan, that hie principal was. out of town, and that he could not get the cheque cashed, and he was accordingly given tho cash. He said the name of his principal was Bysough. Ryan sold the car for .£155 to Mr. P. Withers, and the latter sold it for £W) to Mr. A. Hoby. The original number on the car was 1814, but it was altered to P 3137. On April 16 the car was in Mercer Street, end was recognised by Mr. Baldwin.

Evidence in support of counsel's statement was given by E. S. Baldwin, JV A. Eyan, Percy Withers, A. H. Hoby, and Detective. Andrews. , The jury, after a short retirement; ■brought in a verdict , of guilty. . The prisoner had previously pleaded guilty to the theft of a motor-car nt Wanganui. His Honour, addressing tlis prisoner, said: "This is not the first time we have met. You were sentenced in 1914 for forgery, and you have now pleaded guilty to the theft of a motor-car at Waiigimui, aii'd the jury has found you guilty of stealing a motor-car at Wellington. You will soon be a habitual criminal."

The prisoner was sentenced to one year's imprisonment on each charge, the terms to be cumulative.