FOXTON LINE ROBBERY

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 169, 13 April 1921, Page 7

FOXTON LINE ROBBERY

ACCUSED PLEADS 'GUILTY. From Our Own Correspondent, Palmerston North, April 12. In the Police Court this morning, John Douglas Scobie pleaded guilty to having stolen from the residence of Austin Cyril Badgent the sum of .£7B 10s. / Prom the evidence it appeared that Baigent was asleep in his house alone on the afternoon of April 2. He had hung up his trousers, in the pockets of which were notes to the value of about .£BO, on the back of 't'he bedroom door. Just after dusk he was awakened by the creaking of the door, and on jumping out of bed was unable to see anybody about. Oa searching his trousers, however, 'he found that the money was gone, and he immediately put on some clothes and went out to search for the thief. Just then he met the accused coming into the house, and on being' asked what he was doing there he replied that “his mother had sent him for the milk.” On being asked if he had seen any person leaving the premises he replied that he had met a ■ man about twenty yards from the house, and Baigent asked hlim to follow the man up, until he could get his bicycle. Accused did not return, and Baigent saw him subsequently at his mother's house. When asked if he had caught up the man, he said that be had, and they had bidden each other "good night,” but he was too big for him to tackle. "When the matter was reported to the police station, however, their suspicions fell on Soobie, and he was taken to the police sta' tion, and after being confronted with Baigent admitted that he had taken the money and hidden it, and he volunteered to show where it was. He was then taken to a section about 4AHI yards from where the theft took place, and produced the bundle of notes from underneath a tuft of grass where he had placed it. On being asked to plead, accused said he would plead guilty to taking the money without any intention of stealing it. Upon it-being pointed out to him ’that fhn't was tantamount to a plea of "not guilty,” and would mean that he wouldthave to be tried for theft at the Supreme Court, he pleaded guilty, and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.