STOREKEEPER ACQUITTED

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1039, 1 August 1930, Page 16

STOREKEEPER ACQUITTED

RECEIVING CHARGES FAIL After a-quarter of an hour’s consideration, the jury in the Supreme Court, late yesterday afternoon, acquitted Wiltred Lees, the Clevcdon storekeeper, who stood his trial on charges of receiving stolen goods. The hearing before Mr. Justice Smith occupied two days. At the request of the prosecution, the values of the goods involved in the charges were amended, the amount of grain being reduced from £214 to £BO, and the amount of benzine, oil and kerosene from £l2l to £ls. Lees was charged with having received the goods, which belonged to the National Mortgage and Agency Company, Ltd. and W. E. Lewisham, from Dominie Daniel Petty, who was formerly in charge of A. M. Paterson’s store. Mr. V. N. Hubble, assistant Crown Prosecutor, conducted the prosecution, and Mr. Goldstine defended the accused. In the course of his summing-up, his Honour suggested that accused was entitled to regard Petty as a salesman and not merely as a storeman In his Honour’s opinion this would dispose of the suggestion that Lees was aware that he was obtaining stolen goods, unless there were other circumstances. including unusually low prices, which indicated that the dealings were underhand.