This week 60 years ago: Dalston newsagent accused of stealing three million cigarettes off a lorry
The Gazette 60 years ago - Credit: Archant
A Dalston newsagent was accused of stealing three million cigarettes off a lorry, this week 60 years ago.
The robbery was said to have taken place with two accomplices in New Barnet.
At a court hearing Det Insp Grieves described how he had gone to the newsagents wtih a search warrant, and asked him what cigarettes of the kind stolen he had on the premises.
He replied: "Only what you can see in the shop, and a few in the stock room. As a matter of fact I have just sent an order for more. I am so short. That is all I have got."
But when the inspector searched his bedroom upstairs, he found 10,000 cigarettes of the missing brand, that the newsagent claimed he had bought off a man called "Ted".
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Asked why the cartons were wrapped in brown paper and markedL "Books", he replied: "I don't know. They came that way."
When cautioned he said: "That's ridiculous old man." When charged he said: "I'm not guilty."
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