CHARGES OF SHEEP-STEALING.

Shannon News, 27 April 1923, Page 3

CHARGES OF SHEEP-STEALING.

MAURI ACCUSED PLEADS GUILTY. COMMITTED FOR. SENTENCE. At ihe Police Court yesterday before Messrs H. J. Richards ahd E. S. Lancaster J.'sP'. poto llarawira- (Joe Bonner) and Rako Wilson, appeared on sheep-siealing charge. Detective Sergeant ,T. Quirke, m Palmerston North, appealed for" .the prosecution and Mr P. Harper watched ilie case lor lire accused.

Tlie first Charge was one agJnst Hqnncr of being iu possession of 'a sheep skin with the. ears missing. Detective-Sergeant Quirke pointed out that this was a serious charge as the retention of ears on skins was the only check on ownership of such skins offered for sale the maximum penalty for removing ears being £SO. On this charge accused was fined £1 and 7s costs the Bench stating that as a more serious charge was pending this case was being treated leniently. Detective-Sergeant Quirke, in open mg the main charge said that the castor the police was that this sheep had been taken from Messrs Park an ' Rest’s properly and was found in the possession of accused,. When charged by the police accused admitted taking the sheep. F. Best, sworn, said he was a pariner in the firm of Park and Best, of Levin, owning the property known as Moutere un, situated on the western side of the Horowhenua Lake. In October, 1922, he iftustered 1700 lambs on his property and on March 7 of this year mustered again and found a shortage of about 200. From information which he received ihe went to the property of the accused, Bonner. on the 21st March, and saw the sheep skin' produced hanging, on a fence not far from the back door. About 150 yards from the back door was an old disused well, and in this well he found a sheep-skin and a quantity of wool.

Cross-examined: Witness said' that he could not say for certain that any thing found down the w<ell was his property. He had visited the house again on the 22ml and found the skin still hanging on the fence. He made an examination and found the c/irsf missing. The cars appeared to have 'been left on the head when the sheep was skinned. 'Che skin was similar to that of stock running on his place. | He had not at any time sold -hoop m either of the aroused and had not given permission to either of them to remove stock from his property. Ihe skins in the well were considerably 'lor-ormo'O’d, hut there was no doubt that they were skins. He could n d accuse either of the men of having stolen any but this one sheep.

W. Greggan, police constable stationed at Weraroa gave evidence that in .consequence of a complaint, received from Mr Best, lie had visited the property of the accused Bonner on the 22nd March. Ouitside tlie house he had seen the sheep skin produced. He had examined the skin and found the ears missing. He had taken-possession of it and questioned Bonner as to where he got it, pointing out that ihe ears were missing. He had also seen an old disused well about 150 yards from the house. There was another sheep skin and a head in flic well besides. a quantity of wool. He had questioned Bonner about ihe skin hanging on the fence. Bonner replied that about, three weeks previously he had been in Levin and on returning about 5 o’clock he found the second a censed, Bako Wilson, in his house lie then went out to get his cow which was grazing at the hack of the house. About 100 yards from the house he had found a sheep Tumping on a tree. The skin produced was lying on Ihe ground. When he got hack to the house lie asked his wife where the shrr.i had come from. Phe said she did not know. He then told Wilson to brine no more sheep to bis house, as this sort of thing was no good to him. He. Constable Greggan, had then taken possession of the ,skin and taken it to the police station. He bad seen Wilson the same evening, when be denied all knowledge of die affair. He told him what Bonner had said. On

April 7th, accompanied by Detective Holmes and Constable Bagric, lie bad crone to the well again and found Ihe remains of sheep and about IS inches of wool in the well. About S p.m. that niglit he was present with Detective Holmes when the accused Bonner was taken to the police station. Accused made a statement which was taken down by Detective Holmes, and

signed by accused. The statement

produced was the same as made on this occasion. This statement was on the same lines as that made to him. On April 9 he was present when the {paused Wilson was interviewed by Detective Holmes. Wilson made a

: statement, to the effect that he and 1 Bonner had killed the sheep on Park j mid Best’s and had eaten j it. with the assistance of Bonner’s I family at the latter’s house. On the same day he was with" Detective ! Holmes when <hte read this statement to Bonner at a house on Beach road, when Bonner admitted that it was right and said that There was no use. dragging ihe matter on any further.

Bonner then came to the police station, and at the station his last statemen was interpreted to him by Mr Tuiti McDonald. He then made a statement voluntarily admitting .his guilt, which he signed. Detective Holmes gave evidence supporting Constable Greggan. The accused pleaded guilty and were committed to the Supreme Court for sentence, hail being-fixed in cadi case nl CM) on I heir own security and one oilier surely of £SO.