WANGANUI SUPREME COURT

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 15 February 1917, Page 5

WANGANUI SUPREME COURT

ALLEGED CATTLE STEALING ATRAETIHI. At the Wanganui sittings of the Supreme Court yesterday, before Mr. Justice Edwards, John Sheahon was charged that on November 7, 1915, he did steal four steers, the property of Arthur Benjamin Harris, at Horopito. A second charge was preferred against accused, that he had received three steers knowing them to have been dishonestly obtained. Accused pleaded not guilty. Mr. G. Marshall, Crown Prosecutor, represented the Crown, and Mr. Armstrong appeared on behalf of the prisoner. In his opening remarks, Mr. Marshall said that there were two counts against accused. Firstly, it was alleged that he had stolen four steers, and, secondly. that he had received three steers knowing them to have been dishonestly obtained. Mr. Marshall said that 1 the latter offence was one lust as se- . rious as theft. Accused was a surfaceman employed on the New Zeaj land Railways. It was a’leged that he | had sold four steers belonging to Har- ! ris to Hugh Kavana'gh on November 7, 1915. The latter had sold the steers to a man named Thomas in March, 1916, and the latter had sold to a man named Guthrie in September 1916. Harris bad recognised his lost stock in a mob oi! cattle which was being driven along a road by Guthrie. The sales subsequent to the one by I Sheahon to Kavanagh were, said coun sel, legitimate ones. Accused had said that ho had purchased the cattle at a sale in Raetihi in March, 1915.

Evidence was given for the prosecution by A. B‘. Harris, Leonard Thompson, K. C. Guthrie, P. McKay, and Constable Annison. Mr. Armstrong, addressing the jury on behalf of the defence, said the evidence given by the Crown was purely circumstantial. No on had seen the crime committed. If there was a doubt in the jury’s mind then accused must be given the benefit of that doubt. The Crown had endeavoured to get a chain of evidence. The prosecution must prove its case. Defendant would be put in the witness box and would tell a true story, and counsel held the opin ion that he would go out of the box an honest man. He would tell the jury that he never had any of Harris’ stock, nor did he sell them to Kavanagh. Counsel stressed the point that, although the cattle had been recognised at once by four men, Kavanagh had 'taken over a week to recognise them. For the defence John McCotter, J. J. Sheahon, E. Strachan, Mary Multris gave evidence.