THIEF AND RECEIVER

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 769, 16 September 1929, Page 1

THIEF AND RECEIVER

Deal in Stolen Records

GAOL FOR SECOND-HAND DEALER

FE breaking and entering of a Karangahape Road gramophone shop and theft of £6O worth of records recently, was recalled in the Supreme Court this morning, when Nathaniel Cameron Gow, a bricklayer, was sentenced to two years’ hard labour for the offences. Harry Forman, a 27-year-old second-hand dealer, who received the stolen property, was sentenced to nine months’ hard labour.

On behalf of Gow Mr. Noble said that prisoner was known to the Probation Officer as a good workman. He had not been in trouble for ten years and was living with his widowed mother. “I think you have been misinstructed,” commented Mr. Justice Herdman. "He was convicted of false pretences last year.” “I did not know that,” replied counsel. He added that when caught, Gow had given the police every assistance to recover the stolen property. Passing sentence, his Honour remarked that prisoner had not been behaving himself for a considerable period. "Apparently you started committing thefts prior to 1916, for you were convicted of offences in August and October that year, and again the following year. Information has been given to me that you have been living by thieving. It was a barefaced crime to steal the records of considerable value out of the woman’s shop,” concluded the judge, imposing the sentence of two years’ hard labour. RECEIVER MORE DANGEROUS A plea that prisoner had been under the evil influence .of a well-known criminal was made by Mr. Goldstine, on behalf of Harry Forman, the receive? of the stolen goods. Counsel said he recognised the offence was serious, particularly in view of the fact that Forman was a licensed sec-ond-hand dealer. There were unusual circumstances associated with the offence, which counsel believed would satisfy the Court that Forman was not a criminal. Forman had arrived in New Zealand in 1923, and his character had been blameless up to the

present. After working In the city for some time he started his secondhand dealer’s business, which by its nature came under police supervision. On no occasion had prisoner refused to assist the police in any inquiries. Counsel suggested that the reason for Forman’s lapse was his failure to get his widowed mother brought out to New Zealand as a nominated immigrant. He fell into the temptation to buy the records to-raise the money to pay his mother’s passage out here. “The Court looks on a receiver as more dangerous than the thief. But for the receiver the thief would be unable to carry on his business profitably,” remarked his Honour. The judge added that he must take into account that as the holder of a sec-ond-hand dealer's licence, Forman was trusted, but there was no doubt that prisoner had been guilty of receiving. Prisoner had admitted having bought a gramophone from Gow in January last, but this deal might have been quite innocent. While allowing for previous good conduct, his Honour felt he must send prisoner to gaol for some time.