PLEA OF GUILTY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 39, 9 November 1937, Page 8

PLEA OF GUILTY

Sequel to Dramatic Capture at Waipukurau BREAKING & ENTERING

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

WAIPUKURAU, Last Night.

The story of the dramatic, capture of two men suspected of burglary by Constable D. H. Sutton, of Waipukurau, when they stopped his car, was unfolded in the Waipukurau Court this morning, when John Francis Samuel Keen and Alexander Walter Kilpatrick pleaded guilty to a charge of breaking and entering and stealing articles valued at £28 16/6½ from the home of Mr Frederick Hewitt, Takapau road. They were committed for sentence to the Supreme Court at Napier by Messrs B. J. McCormick and W. G. Bryce, J.P.'s. Keen pleaded guilty also to a further charge that, on July 25, he received £6, knowing it to have been dishonestly obtained. Frederick Hewitt, farmer, of Takapau road, about two miles south of Waipukurau, gave evidence that on returning to his house he found that the door had been forced and a number of articles were missing. Robert Alexander Kyle, a neighbour, said that on the day of the burglary he saw two young men leaving Hewitt's place. About 2 o'clock two men called on him. He did not recognise them as the two he had seen earlier. One had asked for a "feed" but as the fire was out witness refused, after which the men left. About 9 p.m. witness accompanied Constable Sutton in a car and was present when the accused were arrested. While the constable was momentarily absent witness had asked the men where they had got the boots they had with them. Keen replied that they came from Hewitt 's house. David Henry Sutton, police constable at Waipukurau, gave evidence that at 8.50 p.m. on October 31, as a result of a telephone message from Hewitt he had proeeeded down Takapau road, picking up Kyle and driving toward the Sanatorium hill. Proceeding down the incline he met the two accused who were walking toward Takapau. Kilpatrick signalled that they wanted a lift, so witness stopped, and after the accused had entered the car he arrested them. At the police station the accused had laid on the table the stolen articles. They were quite frank and made statements. The statements gave accuseds' movements, showing that while making toward Napier they had got a job with Jack Cudby, at Waipawa, leaving there after a week for Napier, and then setting off for Wellington. Later they went to Dannevirke and Waipukurau. Keen and his mate had gone to a farmhouse for a meal. They knocked at the door, but received no answer, so they pushed the door. Kilpatrick, in his statement, said that being out of work and having no money were his reasons for committing the offence. With regard to the case against Keen alone, Harry Butler, partner in Turner and Butler, motor-garage proprietors, Waipukurau, said that on July 25 he had gone out with his wife about 6.50 p.m. As they were leaving the house Mrs Butler drew his attention to some young men walking past. On his return half an hour later witness found the back door unlocked and the dog running from one room to another. Mrs Butler, on her return, noticed that one blind was run to the top of the window, and drew witness's attention to footmarks on the linoleum. A watch valued at about £10 and a chain valued at about 25/- were missing. Accused in a statement to the police, said that he had met a man called "Frank" at Palmerston North on July 24. They had started to walk toward Napier. They had got a lift to Waipukurau, and "Frank" gave ac-. cused £2 10/-, saying he had got it from friends. Later accused and his companion obtained a lift to Norsewood. "Frank" gave witness a further £3 10/- and then caught a mail car to Ormondville, where they boarded a train for Wellington. They travelled from there to Christchurch where accused was arrested on another charge. On the morning after his arrest, said Constable Sutton, accused said he had been thinking the matter over and made a statement admitting receiving the £6, knowing it to have been stolen.