STOLEN GOODS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20103, 24 November 1939, Page 10

STOLEN GOODS

RECEIVING BY SHEPHERD

FINE OF £3 IMPOSED

YOUNG LAD'S OITENC!

(Special to Hie Herald.) WAIROA, this da

"On the facts it is clear that the goods wore stolen and any person of average intelligence must have known that these goods were obtained in circumstances otherwise than honesily,” sitited Mr. A. Coleman, S.M., in the Wairoa Police Court yesterday when convicting and lining John Patrick Ireland, a shepherd, .Cl on a charge of receiving from a boy who had been dealt with previously in the Children's Court three files and twb tins of radiator cement of a total value of 7s (id well knowing them to have been dishonestly obtained.

Asked to plead, the accused said he did no.i. know the goods had been dishonestly obtained, and this was taken as a plea of not guilty.

A lad aged 15 gave evidence of having stolen the goods mentioned in the charge and giving them to Ireland. He stole the files and cement and Ireland did not ask any questions when he handed them to him. Senior-Sergeant D. Clark gave evidence of having interviewed Ireland at Clydebank, where he was working. He produced the tiles and the cement and in a statement made to witness he said he did not ask the boy any questions about the goods. "It is clear that the goods were stolen and I must hold that you knew they were stolen property,” the magistrate toid the accused.

In the Children’s Court, a boy aged 15, admitted stealing three tiles, two electric light globes and two tins of radiator cement of a total value of 13s, and was placed under supervision of fhe child welfare oliicer for 12 months. lie was warned by the magistrate of the seriousness of bis offence, and was told that if he had been a little older he would have been treated just like any other thief in the public court.

Addressing the boy’s mother, the magistrate stressed to her the value of interesting her son in some pasttime or hobby so as to keep him out of mischief.