South Yorkshire Times, October 13th, 1951
Police Combat “Orgy Of Crime”
Kilnhurst and Rotherham Men Get Gaol Sentences
When it was realised that a party of men were on an “orgy of crime” in Rotherham Borough and West Riding districts, it was necessary to form a team of police officers, two from the Borough and two from the West Riding to combat it. said Det. Insp. W. Spensely prosecuting at Rotherham Borough Court yesterday (Thursday).
Two men, William Smith (24), engineer, of Hooton Road, Kilnhurst and Raymond Whitehead (28), scrap dealer, of Hooton Road, Kilnhurst had admitted stealing property valued at more than £1,600. Reginald S. Owen (23), crane driver, of James Street, Rotherham £1,245, and George E. Bentley (23) metal worker, of Sheridan Drive, Rotherham £1,025.
All four pleaded “guilty” to stealing a motor cycle, value £165, the property of Dennis Payling, from the Clifton Hall, Rotherham; Owen Smith and Whitehead made a similar plea to a charge of stealing at Sheffield Road, Rotherham, a motor cycle value £150, the property of Donald Woodland; Bentley and Owen admitted stealing from Victoria Street, Rotherham, a motor cycle value £50, the property of John Thomas Lound and stealing three gallons of petrol value 10s 6d.
With Smith and Whitehead, John Webster (37), labourer, of Highfield Road, Kilnhurst, and Edwin A. Kruger (25), tractor driver, of Hooton Road, Kilnhurst, pleaded “guilty” to stealing at St. Mary and St. Martin Church, Blyth, 14lbs. of lead value £135, the property of the Vicar and Church Warden.
Whitehead and Smith asked for 12 other stealing offences to be considered, and Owen and Bentley asked for 11 other offences to be taken into consideration.
Bentley, Owen, Smith and Whitehead were sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment, Webster was sent to prison for three months and Kruger for one month.