PETROL THIEF JAILED

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 28, 28 October 1942, Page 6

PETROL THIEF JAILED

Twice Stole From U.S. Service Vehicles For theft of petrol from a United States vehicle, Janies Harold Counsell, salesman, aged 21, was sentenced to one month's hard labour by Mr. Stout, S.M., in the Magistrates’ Court, Wellington, yesterday. He had previously been fined £lO at Levin on a similar charge. The present offence involved the theft of two gallons of petrol from a service truck parked at Kaiwarra. Counsell pleaded not guilty and was represented by Mr. R. I. M. Sutherland. Evidence was given by United States servicemen that a few minutes after midnight a figure was seen crouching under'a truck. When challenged he ran, but a tin and a coat which accused admitted were his were found near the truck; There were signs of petrol having recently been put into Counsell’s car, which was parked about 500 yards from the scene of the theft, and a rubber hose also smelling of petrol was found by police in the car. Counsell said in evidence that he bad lent his car to some servicemen earlier in the evening on the understanding that they would use their own petrol. lie had driven later to Kaiwarra and was smoking in the ear when questioned about the theft. The magistrate said he did not regard accused’s explanation as reasonable.