THEFT OF WHISKY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20102, 23 November 1939, Page 13

THEFT OF WHISKY

SEQUEL TO BURGLARY

MAORI ADMITS OFFENCE SENT.FOR SENTENCE (Special to the Herald.) WAIROA, this clay. Charged with breaking and entering by night the warehouse of tire Wairoa Harbour Board in Waikokopu on November 12, and stealing a case of whisky, valued at £6, the property of the Wairoa Harbour Board, Tawa Mnru, aged 21. a native labourer, of Mahia, pleaded guilty before Messrs. M. .1, Gemmell, and 11. A. Bygum, J.Ps., in the Wairoa Police Court yesterday, and was committed to the Supreme Court in Wellington for sentence.

Jesse Alexander (Burrows, wharfinger in Waikokopu, stated that on the night of Saturday, November 11, a consignment of whisky was unloaded at Waikokopu from the ship Kopara. After being taken from the ship the spirits were put into a truck and shunted into the Harbour Board’s goods shed, which was locked as usual at about midnight.

The following morning it was reported to witness that the shed had been broken into and he telephoned Constable Houston, Nuhaka.

On the following Monday morning, staled witness, the men started work to unload the truck and when a check was made it was discovered that one case of whisky was missing.

Henry Neville Brown, a stevedore at Waikokopu, said that it was part of his duty to see that the goods sheds were locked up after work had. finished, and he locked up the shed just after midnight. He returned to the shed about 4.20 a.m. on November 12 and discovered that the doors had been forced. He reported bis discoveries to the wharfinger.

Constable W. Houston, Nuhaka, gave evidence that on November 12 he received advice that a shod at Waikokopu had been broken into, and the following day the wharfinger reported that a case of whisky was missing. In company with Constable D. .1. Ross, he made inquiries, in consequence of which he interviewed the accused. The home and section of a Maori known as “General” White was searched, and about 10 yards to the rear of the house he found a broken whisky bottle, together with the steel band of a whisky case.

Witness read a statement made by the accused, in which lie admitted the offence.

In pleading guilty to the charge the accused told the court that the offence was committed while he was under the influence of drink.