‘Those wheels? Not mine, officer’
A man caught with stolen irrigator wheels in the back of his van did not know they were stolen, he says.
Joshua Daniel Samuels, 33, a vineyard contractor of Renwick, was pulled over by police on Monro St for routine checks about 7am on October 15.
The officer, unaware of an earlier burglary where irrigator parts were stolen, noticed four large irrigator rims and tyres in the back of Samuels’ gold-coloured Toyota Estima.
A police summary of facts said Samuels told the officer he was instructed to pick them up and transport them to another location.
The officer photographed the irrigator tyres and rims before allowing Samuels to continue on his way.
Later, the officer learnt that a vineyard in Renwick had reported missing parts of an irrigator, some time between October 14 and 15.
A chain and padlock on the entrance of the vineyard had been removed, and a burglar drove about 80 metres to a shed.
Beside the shed were two new Italian-made irrigators on trailers, waiting to be moved to another farm in Renwick.
The burglar, or burglars, unbolted large hydraulic pumps from the front of the trailers before leaving the property with the trailers, the pumps and eight irrigator wheels.
In total, the irrigation equipment was worth $27,000.
The four wheels found Samuels’ van were worth $1100.
Samuels told police he did not know they were stolen but admitted receiving stolen property at the Blenheim District Court on Tuesday.
Judge David Ruth said he accepted Samuels’ explanation. He convicted Samuels and discharged him without penalty. in