THEFTS PUNISHED

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 154, 25 March 1939, Page 8

THEFTS PUNISHED

Five Cases Before Court SIDE CURTAIN STOLEN AU the five cases which came before Air. J. H. Luxford, S.M., in the Magistrates’ Court, Wellington, yesterday were charges of theft. Having admitted the theft of a side curtain from a motor-car, Augustus Steveus Parsons, taxi-driver and butcher, aged 27, was admitted to probation for two years on condition that he take out a prohibition order and remain prohibited. Detective-Sergeant P. Doyle said that complainant noticed accused on the running board of his car while it was parked in a Wellington street one night, and later the curtain was missing. M hen detectives interviewed him at a butcher s shop he denied knowledge of the offence, saying he was drinking at the time of its alleged occurrence. While they were there he left them temporarily. Next they visited his house, but before they arrived they were told by two taxi-drivers that Parsons had told them to instruct his mother to destroy the curtain, and when they arrived only its burnt remnants remained. Detective-Sergeant Doyle said accused was addicted to drink, and it was difiicult to know why he should steal something of no value to him. Mr. F. W. Ongley said that Parsons had no recollection of the event when the detectives interviewed him, but he asked his mother to destroy the curtain if there were one at home.

Robert Hulme, labourer, aged 30, was sentenced to imprisonment for three months, the term to be served concurrently with a similar term which he is at present serving, for the theft of a portable radio set, valued at £l4/10/-, the property of the New Zealand Express Co., Ltd., at Palmerston North, on or about November 2. Detective-Sergeant Doyle said that Hulme undertook to sell some radio sets for a Palmerston North shop. A set was missed, but later it was brought in for repair by a man who said Hulme had sold it to him for £7. He was serving a term of three months for false pretences and theft at Masterton. Thefts of personal effects valued at £9/5/- from a house opposite the hospital in Riddiford Street used as sleeping quarters for nurses were admitted by Charles Morgan, seaman, aged 61. Detective-Ser-geant Doyle said that the house was left open without anybody in charge. A nurse missed some things, some of which were later found by the police in a second-hand dealer’s shop. Accused admitted the theft of the articles recovered, but said he had thrown the others away. He had a formidable list of previous convictions, and was serving a sentence of six weeks at Mount Crawford Prison, imposed on March 10. Morgan said the theft took place at the same period as those for which he had been sentenced. He was sentenced to three weeks’ imprisonment concurrent with his previous sentence. Patrick Ernest Forlong Collins, labourer and cook, aged 65, admitted the theft of a rug and four blankets valued at £3 in Auckland on December 28, and was sentenced to a month’s imprisonment. De-tective-Sergeant Doyle said Collins was a particularly active thief and was serving a sentence of six weeks for theft. The name of a carpenter’s apprentice, who admitted stealing some radio parts from a house where his employer and he were working, was suppressed and he was admitted to probation for two years.