Prisoner Reveals Whereabouts of Safe

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 583, 8 February 1929, Page 1

Prisoner Reveals Whereabouts of Safe

JUDGE GIVES CHANCE

SENTENCE DEFERRED Press Association PALMERSTON N„ To-day. There were sensational developments in the Supreme Court this morning, when James Mortou McGill, a labourer and canvasser, appeared before Mr. Justice Smith for sentence on a charge of breaking and entering the premises of Mr. Christie, a hairdresser and tobacconist iu Rangatikei Street, with Intent to commit a crime. When the accused asked if he had anything to say, his counsel, Mr. Loughnam, sought permission to address the court. "While the accused has been awaiting sentence,” said counsel, “I took it upon myself to put it to him as a possibility, in view of a comparatively recent case of a similar nature iu Wellington, that if he would disclose to the police the position of the safe it might give me a ground for pointing out to your Honour that this circumstance be taken into consideration iu accused's favour. “As a result of the conversation, the accused is prepared to show the police where the safe was. He does not know whether it is now there, or whether it has been rifled, but he can indicate the position where it was placed intact.” His Honour said he was disposed to give the application a thought, in crder to allow the accused to make a mil disclosure about the position of the safe, that might be taken into consideration in determining the sentence to be imposed in view of the prisoner’s attitude. The accused was then remanded for sentence to the afternoon. SAFE BURST OPEN

Subsequently McGill, Detective Barling and Warder Watters motored to Ballance Road, about two miles from the Ballance Bridge. McGill led the Party down a bank 20ft. from the roadwhere the safe was located. It is understood the safe had been forced open. Traces of burned paper weie found.

Apparently the safe had been tipped from a vehicle rolled down the hank, and then covered. The locality had been previously searched by the police, but owing to uie thickness of the fern undergrowth it would be possible to be within a .ew feet of the safe and not see it.