SHANNON POLICE COURT.

Shannon News, 18 July 1924, Page 3

SHANNON POLICE COURT.

A sitting of the police court was held in Shannon yesterday morning the presiding justices being Messrs W.’ H. Gunning, and iE. Spencer. J.’sP. THEFT OF SUIT.

Joseph Eade, labourer, of Mangahao, was charged that pn June 13th he did steal from the Club Hotel one blue serge suit valued, at £ll, the property of .Thos. Moynihan, the licensee. Accused pleaded not guilty and elected to be dealt with summarily.

Constable McGregor, in outlining the case, stated that the accused had stayed'at the hotel from June 11th to 13th, afterwards leaving for Mangahao. Oin Wednesday last he had had occasion to interview the accused on i another matter when he recognised the coat Which was in accused’s pos-' session, Afterwards questioned, accused had stated he had purchased it from an immigrant lor £2. Thos. Moynihan, the owner of the •suit, said he remembered accused staying at the hotel from June 11th until the evening of June 13th. He last saw the' suit on a chair in his room and did not miss it for v few days. He identified the suit as be- ‘ longing to him when Constable McGregor brought the accused to. him. The latter remarked that he had bought it from a man at the top hotel. From the way accused spoke j he gave him the impression he knew it bad been stolen.. I Wm. Cockrane, taxi proprietor, said he knew the accused by .sight. About a month ago! he was engaged to take a party of six to Mangahao, accused | being one of the party. He dropped accused and two others at Arajpeti, and then went on to Mangahao. On his return he found a pair of trousers had been left in the cai\ They had never been claimed and-had been at the garage until the previous day. Constable McGregor giving evidence said that on Wednesday afternoon he had occasion to interview accused re6pecting; . another charge. When be went to undo. Accused’s vest, the lat-

ter said, "Oh, 1 bought these from a man at the Albion Hotel.” " Witness said up till then he had not mentioned who he thought the coat belonged to. Later, questioned about the trousers, accused denied all knowledge of them. Replying to. the Bench iMr Moynihan stated he identified the coat by the tabs which Were of an Australian make, also that there were two hip pockets in the trousers and the lining of the trousers was identical with that of the cqah Accused, giving evidence, admitted staying at the hotel on the dates mentioned and journeying to Arapeti in Mr Cochrane’s car,. While at the Albion Hotel previous to leaving for

Arapeti a man came out and asked / witness for the loan of £2 on a suit as he was going out to Mangahao and wished to pay his board at the hotel before leaving. He advanced the money and the clothes Were put in the car loose and he never looked at them and did not know anything about the trousers;' believing he had only got the coat and vest. Asked if he knew the man: Accused said he was an Irishman about sft 7in. and dark. He advanced the mon- . ey because the man said he was going to work at Mangahao and that he would get it back when they got out. He admitted having a few drinks during the day. The Bench were not satisfied with accused’s explanation as to how he got possession of the suit and convicted him, sentencing him to three months’ imprisonment, stating accused had given himself away by acknowledging they had been stolen without being accused. Accused was then charged that with..

in the past three months he did steal two mattress cases valued iat £1 10s,

the property of the New Zealand Government. ’ Be pleaded not guilty. Constable McGregor stated that, on