Guilty of Theft and Receiving

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 33, 9 February 1937, Page 2

Guilty of Theft and Receiving

F. W. MORLEY REMANDED FOR SENTENCE. Per Press Association. NAPIER, Last Night. A verdict of guilty on both counts was returned at the Supreme Court, Napier, this afternoon against Frederick William Morley, a gymnasium proprietor, of Hastings, who pleaded not guilty before Mr. Justice Ostler to one charge of the theft of a suitcase and a quantity of clothing from a oar at Hastings, the property of Mrs. Miriama Chambers, of New Plymouth, air'd another charge of receiving a gold watch valued at £3O and a shirt, both the property of Bernard Chambers, of Havelock Nqrtli, knowing the same to be stolen property. He was remanded for sentence. For the defence, Mr, W. SelWyn Averill urged that a suitcase of clothing was left in Morley’s gymnasium by an unknown person who broke In one night. It was revealed in evidence that Morley gave the contents of the suitcase to his wife. Regarding the gold watch the police submitted that Morley received this from a criminal with 44 convictions. Evidence was given that the watch was taken to a jeweller after the initials had been scraped off the back and case and sold for £3 2s 6d. ,Tko works were later found in the possession of a jeweller’s apprentice. Mr. Averill submitted that Morley was unaware that he was receiving stolen property when he was given the watch,