MAN ARRESTED

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 32302, 20 August 1943, Page 5

MAN ARRESTED

SERIES OF BURGLARIES KAIHERE POST OFFICE SCHOOLS ALSO ENTERED Pleading guilty to four charges of breaking and entering and one of theft, Archibald Andrew Charles Scott, aged 60, described as a cook and labourer, was committed to the Supreme Court at Auckland for sentence by Messrs H. J. Gieenslade and P. Hunter, J’s.P., in the Hamilton Police Court on Wednesday. The charges involved the breaking and entering of the Kaihere post office on June 29 of last year and stealing cheques and money to a total value of £34 Is, the theft of a shotgun and ammunition at Kaihere and the breaking and entering of the Whatawhata, Forest Lake and Ngaruawahia Schools. At two of the schools, according to the accused in statements to the police, he made himself a cup of cocoa and slept the night.

Olive Unity Ruth Shears, a member of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force and former postmistress at Kaihere, described how the post office "was broken into by forcing a window at the rear. The office was left in a state of disorder. All drawers were ransacked but although the office safe had been tampered with it had not been forced. She had left her purse in the office and the thief had removed £6 in money and a wristlet watch, which she valued at £5. Ah letters in the office overnight had been opened and a number of cheques removed.

Cheque Tendered at Shop

Clarence Oxenham, salesman, said that while he was in the employ of Kemp Bros., Frankton, in July of last year the shop was visited by accused, who selected articles of furniture valued at about £7 13s. In payment he tendered a cheque for £l6 17s 9d and was given £8 14s 3d change. He asked to have the furniture delivered to his home, which he said was situated opposite Lawton Hall, Frankton. The following day when witness went with a carrier to deliver the goods they found that accused was unknown in the locality. The cheque was subsequently returned and was found to be one of those stolen from the Kaihere post office. Constable C. Sutherland, of Huntly, said he arrested the accused on June 17 of this year for offences committed at Huntly. During the course of an interview accused admitted breaking into the Ngaruawahia School on June 15. The next day he confessed to breaking into the Kaihere post office. In a statement to witness accused said he had taken seven cheques from the Kaihere post office and had cashed three of them, of a total value of £24 Is 3d.

Detective J. Hunt, Auckland, produced three statements in which accused admitted the theft of a shotgun and ammunition and breaking and entering the Whatawhata and Forest Lake Schools.