Raided Pleasure Craft

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 452, 6 September 1928, Page 1

Raided Pleasure Craft

TWO LABOURERS FOR SENTENCE

More Than 20 Owners Suffer

lIUIA KEITH ALLEN, aged 22, and William Joseph Whyte. *■* aged 36, who carried out extensive raids on the yachts and launches moored in St. Mary's Bay during the latter part of last summer, pleaded guilty at the Police Court this morning to 18 charges of theft, converting launches and doing mischief. They were committed to the Supreme Court for sentence, being given three months' imprisonment each on the summary charges.

The detailed charges were that they stole : Goods valued at £7, the property of George Henry Reston from the launch Matarere about February 20. A shotgun valued at £4 the property of Albert Henry Dixon, on March 20, from the same launch. Goods valued at £l4, the property of William Casey, from the launch Inanoto, about the same date. Goods valued at £6, the property of John Thode, from the launch Indiana on April 30. On the same date goods valued at £24 17s 6d, the property of Gordon Ferner Bellve, from the launch Cyrena. Goods valued at £3O, the property of Thomas Valentine Masefield, from th° launch Olnone. In May goods valued at £2 Is 6d, the property of Charles Henry Palmer, from the launch Adelaide. Goods valued at £4, the property of Nicholas Bentzon, from the mulletboat Sjambok. Goods valued at £ 1 10s, the property of Forbes Finley, Gilmour, from the launch Nenuhou. Goods valued at £4, the property of William Joll from the launch Dorothy. Goods valued at £1 4s. the property of George Friend Lepper, from the launch Teakau. Goods valued at £6, the property of George Lepper, from the yacht Curlew. Goods valued at £4, the property of Thomas Roy Jamieson, from the yacht Eunice. Goods valued at £3, the property of Arthur Ninnis Breckon, from the launch Alicia. Goods valued at £3, the property of John William Travers, from the same vessel. Goods valued at £4 from persons unknown late in August. The two accused further pleaded guilty to committing mischief by doing damage of £4 Is 6d on the yacht Eunice, £4O on the launch Renuhou, £3 on the launch Alicia. They further admitted converting to their own use two dinghies valued at £8 each, the property of the Auckland Harbour Board and George Friend Lepper respectively, a launch valued at £3OO, the property of Albert Thomas Roy Jamieson, and another vessel of the same value, the property of Arthur Breckon. The owners of vessels concerned in the indictable cases gave evidence as to the circumstances in which they found their boats after the thefts had been committed, and identified stolen property in view in the Court. Detective-Sergeant McHugh said

that complaints had prompted him to search a house at number 4 Freeman s Bay, where he had found a quantity of the stolen goods. Whyte had lived in the house. He arrested Allen where he was working at Mount Albert, and Whyte gave himself up on the following morning. Both men had given the police every assistance in clearing up the case. In a statement to the police, Whyte said that he and Aliev were both living in the Freeman’s Bay house at tlie time of the raids. They had no work and were hard up.