THEFT CHARGES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 June 1943, Page 2

THEFT CHARGES

ACCUSED BEFORE COURT. MAGISTRATE IMPOSES FINES. Walter Yorrich, also known as Vesceko Jorrich, was charged in the Masterton Magistrate’s Court this morning with the theft of six stainless knives and four stainless table forks, valued at £2, the property of M. Kurta and another. Mr H. P. Lawry, S.M., presided.

.Mr T. Cunningham, who appeared for accused, said that although accused knew the articles were in his suitcase, he himself did not put them there. The suitcase was in a room shared by accused and four others. A sum of £2OO was missing and in a search for this sum the knives were found. It appeared that the accused had been made a scapegoat. Detective Sergeant W. Kane said he had made further investigations and was satisfied that no one but accused had put the knives in the suitcase. In the bag were quite a number of other knives and forks, which it was-strong-ly suspected belonged to the restaurant, but they had no marks by which they could be identified. The Magistrate admonished the accused, a Yugoslavian, imposed a fine of £2O and ordered the return of tho , stolen articles.

A charge of theft relating to 3J gal" lons of benzine, valued at 10s, the property of John Patrick Moynahan, was preferred against William Logan Tilyard and another accused whose name was suppressed. Senior Sergeant C. Murphy prosecuted.

The Magistrate fined each accused £lO and owing to the special circumstances, ordered the suppression of the name of one of the accused.