DISHONEST SERVANTS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 706, 4 July 1929, Page 1

DISHONEST SERVANTS

MEN WHO LED BOY INTO CRIME SOLD EMPLOYER’S SACKS Three employees of Bycrofts, Ltd., who have been augmenting their wages by disposing of the company’s new sacks to an outside dealer, were called to account at the Police Court this morning. Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., was of the opinion that the most serious aspect of the case was that two grown men had enlisted the services of a boy in their scheme. Reginald Fleet, aged 18, pleaded guilty on a charge of stealing 126 sacks valued at £6 6s from By crofts, Ltd., between June 2, 1928, and May 22, 1929. According to Chief-Detective Hammond, Fleet had been working at Bycrofts and, in conjunction with two other members of the staff, had stolen sacks, which he had taken away on his bicycle and sold to a dealer at sixpence each. John Henry Williams, represented by Mr. Schramm, pleaded not guilty on a charge of stealing 16 sacks, valued at 16s, on December 6, and William Lionel Buckett also pleaded not guilty on a similar charge. Buckett admitted the theft of 18 sacks valued at 18s in May. After hearing police evidence, In which it was stated that Williams had admitted that a share of the blame was his, Mr. Schramm changed his plea to gu’lty. The evidence showed that the sacks had been bundled up and thrown into the street by Buckett, where Fleet had been waiting with his bicycle to carry them away to the dealers. Fleet said that he halved the money he got for the sacks with Buckett as a rule, but that Williams had been given some of it and was aware of what was going on. The two men were each fined £5, in default one month’s imprisonment, and ordered to make restitution of £5 8s between them.

Fleet was admitted to probation for 12 months. A request for suppression of the name was refused. It was mentioned that all three accused had been dismissed from their employment on account of the theft. Buckett and Williams were married men.