Woman On Trial Faces Shoplifting Charge

Chronicle (Levin), 10 February 1948, Page 7

Woman On Trial Faces Shoplifting Charge

Press Assoclation)

(Per

AUCKLAND, Feb. 9. Sliaplifting on a large scale ■ by a wornau and her young xiiece, oxi a tour of eity shops, was alieged by the Cro'wn in the trial of Nora Catherin uee, aged 47. The tr-ial was eond'ucted by Mr. J ustice Finlay, and Air. Speight represented the Crown. Aceused was eliarged with stealing a handbag v'alued at £2 9s 6d froin one store, ciothing and goods ^ilued at £31 2s 6d from anotlier, goods valued at £13 12s Id froiu another and goods worth £23 12s 9d from a fourtli. Mr. Speight said it was alieged that all these thefts were committed on October 23 when aeonsed had with her, txer niQce of about 1.4 years of age. lli the lirst sliop aceused pieked up a bag and iefl without paying for it. They visited various departments of the

store and accused put mto the bag bedspreads, shirts, trousers and othei goods. These they left at the home of the nieee and al'ter iuneh they visited two other eity stores where accused picked up more ciothing. In the last shop the nieee was going to buy a suitcase but the accused said: " Why buy one when you can pick oue tipi?" The girl then followed her aunt's suggestion. The girl went in behind a display stand with a suitcase she had taken and there her aunt kicked a roll of dress material through to her. The nieee put it in the suitcase 'but this was seen by a niember oi: the stah' and the girl wSs taken in charge and examined. Accused denied knowledge of her but the girl said: " Oh, aunty, don't leave me. ' ' Stolen material was found in the girl's possession and more of it was recovered from her home where she said it had been left. liefore c-alling aceused to give evidenee, Mr. Skelton said- the defenee was a complete denial of the cliarges. Accused would say she went to a uag shop with her nieee on October 23 because the girl wanted to buy a bag. She believed the girl had bought the bag. Al'ter lunch, at a department store, the girl wandered olf while aceused was having a couversation with a woman in the lounge and without accused 's knowledge, stole the artieles mentioned in another of the cliarges. After she had taken hor nieee home in a taxi the girl came out again and said she wanted a lift down town. Aceused would say she left the girl in Queen Street but she later eucountered her in a store in Hobson Street.- - While accused had gone to recover her child who had ruu off, the uiece stole the bag. During the time accused was with her daughter in the children 's playground, the girl, the defenee suggested, was stealing. ciothes and did it not appear that the girl was placing thc blame for these erixnes on her aunt? 1-lis Honour (to accused) : Whai reasou would tlxe girl havejfor teiliixg this long detailed sfeory of | your pa'r- • ticipatiop^ this erimel yl Ac eused^'^i^lg^ afraid, of her m other. " - "• The court adjourned.