THEFTS FROM PUBLIC TELEPHONES

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 52, 25 November 1926, Page 10

THEFTS FROM PUBLIC TELEPHONES

MANY IN CHRISTCHURCH BROKEN OPEN Dominion Special. Christchurch, November 21. Svduev Stringer (aged 20) appeared before Mr. H. P. Lawry, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court to-day on charges of breaking open public telephones in Christchurch. He pleaded guilty to wilfully damaging 16 telephones to the extent’ of £3B ss. 5d., between October 1 and November 20, 1926, and stealing sums amounting to £8 14s. 9d. from them, also to stealing £5O from Emily Fatinv Brown I Wellington) on November 2’3, 1925. Chief-Detective T. Gibson said that there were three other charges relating to telephones, but the police would not offer evidence on these charges. Stringer bad ’ come to New Zealand five rears ago from England. He had admitted having been sentenced to a reformative institution in England for five rears for theft. After he came to New’ Zealand lie did little work and began breaking open telephones on October 1. stealing £8 oelil from them. Before corning to Christchurch lie stole £5O from a woman in Wellington and spent tiie money. On the first charge Stringer was sentenced to three years’ reformative detention. On each of the other charges he was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon within six months.