THEFT FROM HOSPITAL

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 43, 25 January 1944, Page 5

THEFT FROM HOSPITAL

YOUNG MAORI GIRL FINED

A DJSPICABLE

PRACTICE

* When a young Maori woman appeared before Messrs G. Braband and T. J. Cuimmings, J.P's,, ! in the Whakatane Police Court last Friday on a charge of theft from the Whakatane Public Hospital, it was stated by the police that for a considerable time pas't the hospital authorities had misled a growing number of articles and linen which could not be replaced and 1 had therefore become a genuine problem. The defendant, Dulci Kangiaho, of Ruato'ki., was charged with having stolen one. pair of sheets, a towel and a pair of pillow cases valued at £3 8s (id. When asked how she pleaded,, she asked the Clerk of Court for advice. "'! can't tell you," was the rejoinder, "but did you steal the articles mentioned?" Defendant: "I took them., but it wasn't like stealing them. L didn't romovc: the numbers." She finally admitted having removed them without permission and indicated her guilt. "For some time past," said Sei> geant Farrell,, "the Ilosiptal Board has been worried about thefts of this nature. Bed linen, cutlery and other irreplaceable things have been removed. The matter has been reported to tlfc. police who after making enquiries visited the pl.ice where defendant resided, where the articles mentioned in the charge were recovered. The girl freely admitted her guilt and said she intended telling the matron,, although she had had them three, weeks. "This sort of offence is ver\ r hard to detect" commented the bench and it has become very serious. It is actually the. Court's duty to make an example of this girl w but we don't want to send her to the local gaol where there are already men serving sentence —particularly as she is a _ first offender.. She will nevertheless be expected to pay a substantial fine of. 10s, which we hope- will be a deteri'ant to others.