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From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday 11 August, 1944.
HOTEL MANAGER FINED
Charles Guest, of the Station Hotel, Martin Mill, was charged with
being in unlawful possession of rope and wire netting, the property of
the War Department, total value £5 13s. on July 19th.
Mr. P. A. G. Aldington (Dover) defended, and pleaded not guilty.
P.C. Gumb, of Whitfield, said that on July 19th, in consequence of
information received, he went to the Station Hotel and saw a quantity of
rope and wire netting in the back garden. Some of it was being used to
pen in the poultry.
Asked to account for his having possession of it, defendant said it
was left at the station and the corporal in charge said it was no good
at all and was going to be burnt. The soldiers dragged it over. He had
nothing to hide or he would not have put it there. That was about six
months previous. The corporal helped to bring it over. He was given
clearly to understand that it was to be burnt. He would not have had it
there had he known it was of any value.
Cross-examined, witness said he understood a certain amount of
rubbish had been burnt at the station.
C.S.M. Green, Special Investigation Branch, S.E. Army, said the
netting was identical with Government property. No civilian had any
right to possess it. The rope netting, when new, would be valued at £4
16s., but it was well worn, but the wire netting was in good condition,
and its value was 17s.
Guest, on oath, said that when the constable called and said he had
news for him he thought it was about his fighter pilot son. The
policeman said it was about the netting, and he (defendant) replied,
"Oh, that rubbish." He was upset. It had been in his garden fully 16
months. Soldiers dragged it there and said they were giving it to his
children to play with. He spoke to a bombardier about it, and he said,
"It's no good, guvnor, we are burning it." It was left in a lump for
months, and the children played with it all last summer. When the
children had some chicken given them some of the netting was used to
make a place for them. He did not ask for the stuff, and gave nothing
for it. He did not want the muck, and had no use for it.
Mr. Aldington said that the stuff laid in his yard for months open to
the public gaze. No notice was taken until it was used for some other
purpose.
The Chairman, announcing a fine of £1, said a man of defendant's
experience should have enough sense to shun Government stores as he
would the devil. He aught to know that unless properly sold he was
guilty of receiving.
SON PLEADS GUILTY
Peter John Guest, 20, son of the last defendant, was then charged
that between July 1st and 19th, at St. Margaret's, he stole spile
fencing, valued £2 1s. the property of the government.
Inspector Wimsey outlined the case, and said that defendant told P.C.
Gumb that he thought it would be no greater offence for him to take the
fencing home than to dump or destroy it.
Mr. Aldington (defending) said it was one of those cases where
Government property was left lying about for all and sundry to take.
Fined £1.
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