Kentish Independent – Friday 19 September 1952
Brass eagle and cross brought into court
A large brass eagle and cross were brought into Greenwich Courtroom on Monday when four men were charged with breaking and entering a church store at St Peter’s Church, Courtlands Avenue, Lee, and stealing lectern pedestals, candlesticks, other metal articles and a brown cloth worth together £200, property of the South London Church Fund.
The men were Henry Causey, 41, labourer of Parry Place, Plumstead, David Edward Power, 26, street trader, of Church Hill, Woolwich, Joseph Ernest Dalloday, 23, welder, of Abbey Grove, Abbey Wood, and Donald Clifford Crooks, 22, stone fixer, of Grovelands Road, St. Pauls Cray.
P.C. Harvey said that at 1:30 on Monday morning he saw a small van come from Courtlands Avenue and proceed towards Eltham. He noticed that the van was “rolling” rather badly and appeared to be heavily laden. He caused it to be stopped at Westhorne Avenue, Eltham, and it was discovered that Power was driving. The other men charged were also in the van. The load consisted of the eagles and similar church property.
FROM HOP FIELDS
Dalloday said: “We have been down the hop fields and we got it (the load) off a bloke down there.” The men were taken to Eltham Police Station where they were charged. After caution, Power said: “The brown cloth belongs in the van.”
At 4.30 the same morning, P.C. Harvey accompanied the Rev C.J. Gunderson to the church, which was bring used as a storehouse – it was bombed during the war – for articles from bombed churches in South London. At the east end of the church lead had been removed from a window about 10ft. from the ground, and a small door had been opened from the inside.
P.C Harvey claimed that Power had said that he had taken the van from the yard of a Mr. Allcorn at Plumstead: and Det.-Con. Sidney Tasker said that the vehicle was to the best of his knowledge either stolen ore taken without the consent of the owner. He added that further enquiries were to be made. All the man were remanded in custody until Monday.