Folkestone Gazette
9-8-1961
Local News
A safe gang got away with over £500, wines and spirits
worth £60, and 6,000 cigarettes from the Star Inn, Newington, on Friday night.
They forced a back door and carried the 2 cwt. Safe from a small room adjoining
the bars to a waiting vehicle. Then they helped themselves to cigarettes and 75
bottles of wines and spirits without disturbing the landlord and his family.
The safe, its back ripped open, was found near Wingham the following day.
“There was £580 in the safe, but all the thieves left behind was £17 in silver,
£11 10/3 worth of threepenny pieces and some cheques”, said the landlord.
Folkestone Gazette
23-8-1961
Local News
Alleged to have taken part in a safe robbery at a public
house at Newington on August 4th, Desmond John Penrose, aged 33,
painter and decorator, of no fixed address, was at Folkestone Magistrates`
Court on Friday sent for trial at West Kent Quarter Sessions on September 4th.
He was charged with breaking into the Star Inn and stealing a safe containing
money, and other articles to the total value of about £750. The property
included jewellery, bottles of wines and spirits, 6,000 cigarettes, a radio set
and £594 12/4 in cash.
Penrose admitted to the Court “I was concerned in the
theft”.
Mr. P.B. Langford, prosecuting, said Penrose told police
that he was involved in the offence with two other men who had not been
apprehended. The prosecution was
prepared to accept his story that he waited outside the inn in a car keeping
watch for the others.
Mr. Geoffrey Edward Cross, licensee of the Star
Inn, said at 12.15 a.m. on August 4th he made sure all
exterior doors and windows at the premises were locked and bolted. When he went downstairs at
6.15 a.m. he found that
the door of the sun lounge had been forced, and that property worth about £750
was missing.
D. Inspector Packman said at 10.05 p.m. on August 7th he arrested Penrose in Hythe in connection with another mater. The following day he admitted being concerned in the offence at Newington, stating “I can take you to where some of the property is hidden but I cannot tell you where it is”. That evening he was driven in a police car along roads in the area of Canterbury, Adisham, Bekesbourne and Wingham. While on a road between Wingham and Barham he stated “There`s the place”, indicating a disused quarry. Police made a search and found two pillowcases containing seven bottles of wine and seven of spirits. During the search Penrose told him “I never break. I drove the car and left them to do the job while I drove round, and returned when they were ready. We then drove and they dumped the safe while I kept the car on the move. Then we drove here as it was getting light, and I remained here while they hid the stuff you have found. I was with them and had some of the money so it’s no good me saying I don’t know, anything about it”. When charged with the offence, Penrose replied “If that is the money supposed to have gone I did not have my full share.” Later he said “I had £100 in all”.
Folkestone Herald
26-8-1961
Local News
Desmond John Penrose, 33, painter and decorator, of no
fixed address, was committed for trial at West Kent Quarter Sessions when he appeared
on remand at Folkestone on Tuesday, charged with breaking into the Star Inn,
Newington, and stealing a safe containing money and other articles, to the
value of about £750. The property included jewellery, bottles of wines and
spirits, 6,000 cigarettes, a radio set and £594 12/4 in cash.
Accused first appeared before the Magistrates on August 9th
when evidence of arrest was given by D. Inspector I. Packman. He said he saw
accused at the rear of the Ritz Cinema, Hythe, at 10.05 p.m. on August 7th
and took him to Folkestone police station.
At the resumed hearing, Mr. P.B. Langford, prosecuting,
said Penrose told police that he was involved in the offence with two other men
who had not been apprehended. The prosecution was prepared to accept his story that
he waited outside the inn in a car, keeping watch for the others.
Mr. Geoffrey Edward Cross, licensee of the Star Inn,
Newington, said at 12.15 a.m. on August 4th he made sure all
exterior doors and windows at the premises were locked and bolted. He got up at
6.15 a.m. and found the door of the sun lounge forced, and property worth about
£750 was missing.
D. Inspector Packman said Penrose was driven in a police
car along roads in the area of Canterbury, Adisham, Bekesbourne and Wingham.
While on a road between Wingham and Barham, Penrose stated “That`s the place”,
indicating a disused quarry. Police searched the place and found two
pillowcases containing seven bottles of wine and seven of spirits. During the
search Penrose told him “I never break. I drove the car and left them to do the
job while I drove round and returned when they were ready. We then drove and
they dumped the safe while I kept the car on the move. Then we drove here as it
was getting light, and I remained here while they hid the stuff you have found.
I was with them and had some of the money, so it`s no good me saying I don`t
know anything about it”. When charged with the offence, Penrose replied “If
that is the money supposed to have gone I did not have my full share”. Later he
said “I had £100 in all”.
Folkestone Gazette
13-9-1961
Local News
For his part in the raid on the Star Inn, Newington,
Folkestone, on August 4th, when property and money worth £750 were
stolen, Desmond J. Penrose (33), painter, of no fixed address, was jailed for
five years at the West Kent Quarter Sessions at Maidstone. Penrose, a man with
four findings of guilt and seven previous convictions, who asked for other
offences to be considered, pleaded Guilty to breaking in and stealing about 78
bottles of wines and spirits, 6,000 cigarettes, 302 cigars, jewellery, etc.,
and about £594, total value £750.
Mr. C. Nichols, prosecuting, outlined the details, and
said that while Penrose was at Folkestone police atation about another matter,
he was asked about the offence and his part in it. He was told that certain
property had been recovered, and he then said he would take the police to where
some of the property was hidden. He went with the police to a quarry on the
Barham – Wingham road and a quantity of wines and spirits in two pillowcases –
taken from the Star Inn – were recovered. He made a statement that two other
men were involved in the “breaking”. He did not break in; he only drove the
car, he said.
Speaking from the dock, penrose said he was not trying to
shield the others; in fact, he had friends who were trying to trace them. They
engaged him to collect some
stuff - he thought it was black market stuff.
Passing sentence, the Chairman said that the
accused was not wholly unknown to him. “There is no question, you are rapidly developing
into an habitual criminal”, he said. “If you go on as you are going, it will
not be long before you are sent away for a long period of preventive detention”. He took part in the break, and whether
he tried to trace the others or not was neither here nor there. He had the motor
car to carry the things away.
Folkestone Gazette
16-9-1964
Local News
A total of £13 4/3 was collected by a pile of
pennies at the Star Inn, Newington. It was pushed over on Monday night by Miss
Folkestone, 20-year-old Miss Valerie Atkins, in her first official engagement. The pile took over nine months to
build; the proceeds will go to the Spastics Society. The customers at the inn
have now started another pile, which will be the third they have built.
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