Man Who Robbed Room-mate Gives Himself up to Police

Grey River Argus, 3 April 1948, Page 2

Man Who Robbed Room-mate Gives Himself up to Police

After Spending £35 Pricked by his conscience, after having stolen £35 in money from his room-mate in a Gi’eymouth hotel, a man recently gave himself up to the police at Christchurch. As a result, Ronald Neville Earnshaw, married, aged 37 years, appeared before Messrs E. O. Henry and P. O’Farrell, J’s.P., in the Greymouth Police Court, charged with having stolen the sum of £35 from George Charles Wallace. After pleading guilty, he was remanded to appear before the Supreme Court in Christchurch. The -victim of the theft, Wallace, an employee at the Strongman coal mine, said on March 8 last he had been staying at the Union Hotel, Greymouth, and shared a room with accused. On the morning of the theft, he put £35 10s in his drawer, this being secured with a nail through a hole in the side. When he left for work,' Earnshaw was still m bed. However, when he arrived back in the room the same afternoon, accused and the money were gone. STATEMENT TO POLICE. A statement made by accused to the police in Christchurch was produced by . D'etective-Sergeant N. Thompson, who prosecuted. Accused had stated that although he was married, he was not living with his wife. They had separated, and from Wanganui he had come to the West Coast and taken employment in the Dobson coal mine. He had been worried about his domestic affairs, and as a result had taken to drink. On file day which the statement was made, continued accused, he went to the Detective Office in Christchurch and gave himself up for the theft of the money in Greymouth. He did not go to work, and had been drinking on the clay the offence was committed. He had opened Wallace’s drawer, and on seeing the money, took it on the spur of the moment. BLACKED OUT. Earnshaw went on to state that he then had a “black-out” until he reached Christchurch. He had, however, been worried over his action. The stolen money had been >pent on drink and general living expenses. “I regret my action,” he added, “and if given the opportunity, I am prepared to make restitution.” He said that he had done five years’ overseas service during the recent war, of which four years he spent as a prisoner of war. “This experience had not left me sure .of myself mentally,” he told the bench. He pleaded guilty and was remanded as stated. DRUNKENNESS CHARGE. A statutory first offender arrested in Boundary Street at 1.15 yesterday morning on a charge of drunkenness, was fined 10s, the amount of his bail.