THEFT OF GRAPES

Hokitika Guardian, 29 March 1933, Page 3

THEFT OF GRAPES

TWO AIEN IN VINEYARD

both sent to prison

PUKEKOHE. Alarch 27

“TliievCjj who visit orchisu/d s are very hard to catch and it is time there was an example made,” said - Sergeant J. T. Cowan in the P'ukekofoa .Police Court today -when' the theft of .grapes valued at £1 8s 6d, the property -of•••■.•.Francis T. Byrnes, at Te Kauwhata, on Alarch 11, vaas admitted by John Thomas Brown, aged 28, and Robert Arthur MoSheff?ry > aged 22. The accused were deseribi'd as hawkers from Auckland. (Air F. H.. Levin, S.M., wa„ on the Bench.

James Henry Preston, orchardist, of Te K mwiata, eaid th t receiving a message at about nine o’clock on. tlie evening of Alarch 11, lie .went to Mr Symes’ vineyard anR found the accused men there with a quantity of newlypicked grapes. On the road n_ea r the property he - saw a man with gr'pes in a box and a motor-truck /was also •standing there without. lights. He detained th e men until the police arrived,

Tb Alj. H. J. Wily, who appeared for accused, witness said the-men, gave no trouble after being accosted, but dfoye to Air ’Symes’ homestead and waited until Constable Olsen came from Aler--V cor. * .

F/T. Syme s s .?id that on the night when th e ; accused were discovered in h’l3 vineyard, h.e was absent, from h-cme. but on the following mqrnjng. he found that 1141 b. of grapes Had been .gut from his Vines by the men, .■ .Sergeant Cowan sa : d ly ? did gest that- -Brown - and Mqgbeffciy , had •been making a practice Pf Siting Te Kauwhata orchards.-.8-athft had previous convictions for theft. McSheffery hod three and Brown a ljst, - .0l

twelve. . , - . Air Wily said that the charge in itself wn s .only one of petty theft. The nien had been to Ngaruawahia in. the motor truck and on the return journey •had intended to buy some gr’pes. They had gone to a shop but on finding nobody about the place bad 'fallen to the temptation to help themselves D’o-m th e vineyard r.ear by. ..Brown -was a 1-fharrie.d man and had to keep 1 bis widowed mother also. - ' -- McS..he.ffex’y. had bis mother and five Jittle ■ children—his and - ■ ■ rsi stefs—to ; support-. Counsel submitted that - the cas e • could be met by a -fine. • ’ Tih e ' magistratedreferring to -Brown’,?, record, said that Brown was .‘-‘impos-.

.sjble.”' /\t- this stage a woman at the, back of the Court, with a-child in dr acme, ibui’ist into tears. “He has’ to keep me —I iam h ; s jinot-her - , ’’ 'she -said. /‘He has been bettor since h 8 got married, Please give him rrcthei; gvance.” ~ The Magistrate : H.e should . have, thought of you before. His list :g quite 'formidable for a young, man. ' . . • •“•“I have decided that there is a ser;.. aspect, in the oas-fr, I*-fil 1 *-file’ixl'ag- strate. “These 'fruityro.w'n’s fcaiindt pfit' Tip" barhe c f avife - entahglem - ents --, \Tiid -it-- ,; s' bard luck if Tbev. Irye to guard '(heir orchards 'every' night.” A sentence, of two months’ imprisonmerit', with' b-V.jfc'tabdiri- whs- - Brown. AlcShefEery iVas- ’’ sentenced -to one month. 1 ' ” i--