STOREKEEPER ON TRIAL

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1037, 30 July 1930, Page 10

STOREKEEPER ON TRIAL

CHARGE OF RECEIVING STOLEN ARTICLES GOODS MISSED FROM STORE A Clevedon storekeeper; Wilfred Lees, stood his trial before Mr. Justice Smith, in the Supreme Court today, on charges of receiving a large quantity of stolen goods from Dominic Daniel Petty, a storeman. The charges against Lees were that he had received, between October, 1929, and. April, 1930, a quantity of wheat, maize, oats and chaff, valued at £214 7s 6d, belonging to the National Mortgage and Agency Company, Ltd., and receiving 115 cases of gasoline, nine cases of kerosene and 33 tins of lubricating oil, valued at £l2l 7s 4d, belonging to W. E. Lewisham. Mr. V. N. Hubble, assistant Crown Prosecutor, conducted the case for the Crown and Mr. Goldstine for the accused. Murray Jas. Christie, manager of the National Mortgage and Agency Company, Ltd., stated that the firm’s goods were stored at A. M. Paterson’s store, of which Dominic Daniel Petty had had charge. In June last year Petty introduced Lees to the firm as a cash customer. After some small cash transactions, Lees started making purchases of produce on credit, running up a bill of £6O, which was collected after considerable trouble.. Lee 3 tendered a cheque in payment, but it was dishonoured. Finally the account ~was met two months later. Since October Lees had not obtained any goods from the firm’s store, except a sack of "sweepings” of grain, for which he paid 15s. In April certain shortages in stocks at the: store were discovered. Witness said that when. Lees obtained goods from the store he had to sign a receipt that he had taken delivery. Andrew C. Grey, a salesman employed by W. E. Lewisham, said that Lees had bought some benzine during the past year. In SepLember, 1929, the firm’s stocks were squared up with the owner of the store, hut on a check being made six months later the shortages were discovered. (Proceeding.)