THEFT OF SPIRITS.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 June 1926, Page 1

THEFT OF SPIRITS.

[by TELEGBAPI? —PER IMIKSS ASSOCIATION'.j AUCKLAND, June 23. Horace Vincent Byrne .Speight, and .Michael Keady, licensee of the Britomart Hotel, were at the Police Court charged with breaking and entering the bonded warehouse of L. D. Nathan and Co, with intent to commit a crime, stealing liquor valued at £77 'ls LOd; or, alternately, with receiving the same liquor. Evidence was given that Speight was a lurry driver for Nathans and that the lorry he drove was garaged in the outside portion of the bond store. On Saturday. June 12th, the premises were closed, hut Speight was instructed to return the lorry after it had been painted, llis duty was to return the keys to the Despatch Office. The loitv was garaged at midnight and Speight was the hist man in the premises. Robert Beswiek. employed as Customs broker, said he had charge of Nathan’s bond store, which he locked up at 11.45 on June 12. The lorry was not there then. On Monday morning he found the doors open and found seven cases and five bottles of spirits on the platform on which the trucks were loaded. The horn! lock was intact. One crown lock leading to six upper stories had been prised open. A lift door was also wide open. On taking stock he found live cases ol whisky,* one case of brandy, one of schnapps, and two cases and nineteen bottles of brandy had been removed. At 6 p.m, the same day, in company with defectives, he interviewed Keady at the Britomart Hotel. When told it was alleged lie had bought stolen liquor, Keady replied: “You won’t find anything here.” The premises were then searched. Not a single ease of liquor was found. In the cellar eighty-three bottles of brandy and 20 bottles of gin were found, showing they had boon, plaecd oil the shelves recently. In the kitchen were found pieces of liquor cases with bond marks, import marks, and numbers belonging to cases stolen from the bonded store. Witness and Detective Aioon searched Kendy’s hack yard, and found a large quantity of broken stone gin bottles in rubbish tins. A hotel porter, questioned, stated he was instructed by Keady to break up the bottles as they were useless.

Evidence was given hv a driver employed by Nathan’s, who said he t\as with Speight on the Saturday afternoon when the latter left him to speak to Keady.

A police sergeant on duty on Sunday, June 13, said he heard hammering in the cellar of the Britomart Hotel at 10.11 p.m. and at 11.45.

Speight pleaded guilty. He was committed for sentence.

Keady pleaded'not guilty; and reserved his defence on being committed for trial. Each was admitted to hail.