CARGO PILLAGE

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 292, 8 September 1942, Page 3

CARGO PILLAGE

Watersider Imprisoned

A watersider, who was detected leaving a ship on which he was working on Sunday with three bottles of rum tied to his legs with women's) silk stockings, Was sentenced to three months’ hard labour by Mr. Stout, S.M., in the Magistrates’ Court, Wellington, yesterday. Accused, Bryan Charles McCarthy, aged 32 years, of 19 Tennyson Street, 'Wellington, pleaded guilty to the charge of stealing three bottles of rum, valued at £l/10/-. the property of the shipping company. . The police evidence was that a constable heard the clinking of bottles as accused passed. He stopped him, and on searching him, the bottles were found tied, two to one leg and one to the other, with women’s ■ silk stockings. Accused was a married man with a family, and was earning 7/4 an hour at his work on Sunday. For accused, Mr. G. Kent said that be was a soldier on seven days’ leave, and had commendably decided to work during the period, lie had found the bottles of rum hidden under sawdust, having evidently been removed from their case, in an earlier port of call. He had succumbed to the, temptation. Mr. Kent urged that McCarthy was doing bis job in the Army and hud a clean military record.

The police stated that McCarthy’s previous record was bad.