NOCTURNAL CHASE

Evening Star, Issue 24330, 20 October 1942, Page 2

NOCTURNAL CHASE

CURLIME FOUND GUILTY OF BURGLARY Evidence for the prosecution in the trial of Victor Hoyden Curline on seven charges involving breaking and entering, theft, and receiving was concluded yesterday afternoon belore Mr Justice Kennedy in the Supreme Court. Mr A. G. N'eill appeared for the accused. In connection with the charges concerning the alleged theft of petrol coupons irom tho Little Theatre on or about July 4, Detective-sergeant Gibson and Detective Berry gave evidence that they had searched the accused’s house in Marniugton and had found a number of coupons in a tobacco tin Accused had stated that these had been given him by a man who was now overseas or iji the New Zealand service. The man’s name was not given. When tho hearing was resumed this morning, the first witness for the defence was James Stewart Little, accountant. who said he was adjutant in the Emergency Fire Service and kept a weekly roster of the crews who went on duty. Witness said that during the week-end July 4 and 3 a crew, of which accused was a member, were on duty at station 9B at a city hotel, the hours of duty being from 1 p.m. on the Saturday to 7 a.m. on the Monday. The sergeant on duty would grant leave to any member of the crew in eases of emergency ; otherwise application would have to be made to witness. To Mr Adams; Any man had the option' of asking to be relieved by another it he wished to go off for an evening. Witness had no personal knowledge that accused was actually on duty between July 1 and 8, and the records took no cognisance of any substitution of one man by another. The sergeant was responsible for seeing that all remained at their posts, it would be possible for a man to be away from his station for some hours at night without his absence being known. Witness had heard of such cases.

Cecil Niep.er, sergeant in charge of the crew, described his own movements and those of his crew during the weekend in question, and stated that Curline was on duty from 1 p.m. Saturday till 7 a.in. Monday. It was- possible that accused could have gone out for an hour or two without witness’s knowledge, but it was hardly probable. Harold Pillcington and Robert Robson, also members of the crew, corroborated the evidence of the previous witness. After the Crown Prosecutor and counsel for the defence had addressed the jury in respect of all the charges preferrd, His Honour summed up and the jury retired at 12.d0 p.m. The jury returned at 2.35 with a verdict of guilty on the charges of breaking and entering Warde H's and Dyer’s premises, and guilty on the charge of receiving a quantity of petrol coupons knowing them to be stolen. The prisoner was remanded until 10 o’clock to-morrow morning for sentence.