THEFT OF A LAMB

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 95, 16 January 1935, Page 3

THEFT OF A LAMB

Magistrate’s Court Cases DRAPERY GOODS STOLEN ■Having been arrested in the early hours of yesterday morning, three men were charged in the JVellington Magistrate’s Court yesterday with the theft of a lamb from Paekakariki Hill. They pleaded guilty and were remanded to appear in court on Friday. The accused were: Robert Edward Cobbe, aged 32, painter; Raymond Charles Hill, aged 33, labourer; and Hector Lillyman Hailwood, aged 28, painter. Detective-Sergeant Hall said that at about 9 p.m. on Monday night the police received a telephone message to the effect that some men in a motor-car had been seen to take a lamb from the top of Paekakariki Hill. Detectives left the city and arrested them, and the carcase of the lamb was recovered. The remand was asked for because the police knew nothing of the facts of the case except what they could gather from the telephone message. Admission by Canvasser Theft of 51 pairs of gloves, 22 pairs of stockings, and a fur necklet, of a total value of £ll/8/6, was alleged against George Alexander Low, aged 32, canvasser. The police stated that the thefts had been committed at Christchurch, and the owners of many of the articles were not known. Low pleaded guilty. Between May 19 and July 26 last Low under tlie name of Lawson, called at a shop in Willis Street and sold to the proprietor the articles enumerated in the charge, said Detec-tive-Sergeant Hall. On selling the articles Low had explained that he had obtained the goods from a brother in Christchurch. The fur had been stolen from a place where Low had previously been, employed; he already had been convicted for theft from the same establishment, and was now serving a sentence of reformative detention. He admitted stealing the goods, but would not say where except that it was in Christchurch. Commenting that some of the thefts might have been involved in the previous charge against Low, the magistrate, Mr. W. F. Stilwell, convicted him and ordered him to come up for sentence if called upon in any period within the next 12 months. Youth’s “Flying Chance” “I am giving you a flying chance,” remarked the magistrate to a youth who pleaded guilty to stealing sums of money totalling 17/6 Accused was admitted to probation for 18 months, his name was suppressed from publication, and he was ordered to restore the money if this had not already been done. The youth was living with his parents, Detective-Sergeant Hall said, and at the time of the offence he had been working for a few weeks for Mr. J. Leitch, of the London Tyre School. He had been pocketing a few shillings at different times when selling petrol. He had been receiving £1 per week wages. At the age of 13 he was before the Children’s Court. On behalf of accused Mr. R. L. A. Cresswell said that out bf the £1 he had been giving 15/- a week to his parents and paying 2/6 a week into a savings bank account under the supervision, of his mother. It was difficult to find the exact reason for the thefts, but apparently it was that the youth had got into company with friends who had more money to spend than himself, and he wished to go about with them. When the offences were discovered he was dismissed by his employer, counsel continued. The employer had retained from his wages approximately the amount stolen. Accused was not a lad with vicious tendencies. The uoiice had no knowledge of restitution of the money having been made, said Detective-Sergeant Hall. Stating that the offenee was purely technical, although he considered the police had been justified in bringing the charge, the magistrate dismissed as trivial a charge against Thomas James Brennan, aged 39, relief worker, and Leslie Maxwell, aged 50, miner, of being found without lawful excuse in a house in Tokio Lane. The defence, which was conducted by Mr. C. O. Bell, was that the house had been entered with the permission of the occupant, who was absent. A constable passing a pie-cart in the city heard swearing coming from inside and, investigating, found that a man was abusing the proprietor, stated Senior-Sergeant O’Neill when John Richard Rosedale Ryder, aged 34, labourer, was charged with using obscene language. He was fined 30/- and costs, in default seven days’ imprisonment. Having failed to comply with the terms of his release on probation, Louis Gestro, aged 56, labourer, was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon within IS months and was also ordered to take out a prohibition order. For his fourth offence of drunkenness within the last six months, 'William George Hall, aged 46, cook, was sentenced to 10 days’ imprisonment.