SCUFFLE WITH POLICE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 807, 30 October 1929, Page 18

SCUFFLE WITH POLICE

FIREMAN CAUGHT IN YARD CONVICTED AS VAGABOND Caught at night in the yard of a Victoria Street monumental mason, Patrick Byrne, a fireman, was convicted of being a rogue and a vagabond, in the Supreme Court yesterday. Mr. Justice Smith was on the Bench. Byrne faced charges of breaking and entering the oflice of W. Parkinson and Coy., and alternatively, of being a rogue and a vagabond. A light in the firm’s office, on the night of September 4, attracted the attention of Constable Hayes, who said he found the door open. Byrne, who was inside, when confronted, claimed to be the manager and invited the policeman inside, offering to show the latter through. Byrne then bolted through the door, but witness caught his man at the gate, where a violent struggle ensued until Constable Yeoman arrived and handcuffed accused. The office door lock had been broken off, but nothing was missing from the premises. For the defence Mr. Noble ridiculed the idea of Byrne being a burglar, pointing out that the man had no house-breaking implements. The Crown, he said, had made no allowance for anyone else having broken into the place. In the box, accused stated that he had heard shouting in the premises and had entered to investigate. He found no one there and was leaving when he met the constable.

A verdict of guilty of being a rogue and a vagabond was returned by the jury, and prisoner was remanded until Saturday for sentence.