ABSTRACT
Lord Parker CJ: ... The defendant was at the material time living in Seymour Road, East Ham, with a Miss Nelson and their children. Three miles away a man called Arthur Edwin Brown ran a garage in Carlyle Road, Manor Park. There is no doubt that at some time prior to 7 March 1969, the defendant took a Sceptre car of which he was the registered owner to Mr Brown’s garage for repairs. It was Mr Brown’s case that he did those repairs, that as he was short of space he left the car in Carlyle Road some 10 to 20 yards from the garage. The ignition key had been handed to him by the defendant, and this he retained on the keyboard in his office. According to Mr Brown, on 7 March 1969, the defendant called at the garage and asked if the car was ready. On being told that it was except that it might require to be tuned, the defendant said that he would return on the next day, Saturday 8 March, and would pay Mr Brown for the repairs and pick up the car. A few hours later, however, Mr Brown found that the Sceptre car had gone; moreover whoever had taken it had a key, because the key that Mr Brown had was still on the keyboard. He reported the matter to the police.
