Illustrated Police News 14 March 1929
Page 8

DANGEROUS MAN SENTENCED. USED GELIGNITE TO OPEN SAFE.

A Man who blew open a safe with gelignite, and at whose home 11 lb, of explosives and thirty detonators were stated to have been found, appeared at Leeds Assizes in the person of Fred Stirk, forty-two, a joiner, who was sent to three years’ penal servitude for breaking and entering the warehouse of a gramophone company at Bramley near Leeds, and stealing £45 18s. 9d. and other property.

Counsel stated that Stirk blew open the safe, twelve windows of the warehouse being blown out and furniture hurled about.

A detective-inspector produced a long list of convictions against Stirk for warehouse and counting-house breakings. The officer described Stirk as a dangerous man, who specialised in this particular form of crime. When arrested Stirk (said the detective) had twelve sticks of gelignite in his possession – enough to have blown the whole of the works down. The damage amounted to £150.

The judge agreed that Stirk was a dangerous man – a danger to both life and property. He was obviously pursuing a line of serious crime.