DAMAGES AWARDED

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 9, 4 October 1937, Page 10

DAMAGES AWARDED

«•>!. ». .. - Girl Searched by Detectives £400 FOR SHOP ASSISTANT Jfair-haired Jessie Isabella Blakesley, 18-year-old London shop-girl, who wae' recently awarded £400 agXeed damages, with costs, for assanlt, false impriso*ment and malicious prosecution, against her former employera, Bourne and HqIlingsworth, of Oxford street, wants to get away from shop life. She told the Daily Sketch so after she had described in court carliep in the day hqw detectives had pearched her because she was suspected of etealing 2s 4Jd, She is now working for a Eegenti street firm, who .are very pleased with5 her work. I3could have gone back to my old place," she pointed out, "but I could not bear the thought that the others would be talking about me," "But father taught me to drive • car," she went on, "and I passed.my test the first time. I think I should like to get right away from shops and have a job where I could drive a car." • At the hearing of the case, in the King's Bench Division, Mr J. D. Cassels, K.C., said that Miss Blakesley, who lived Winlaton road, Bromley, had been in the store 's dress-making departmSnt and was loanod to the cheap jewellery depajrtment. She had served several customcrs when oue came alo'ug whq gelected fous bangles, Miss Blakesley wae making out the necessaxy i'Qrm, but, in her iaexperieuce, fuxnbied a little. The result was that several custoiuers selectsd artides, placed the xnoney on the counler and went away. Miss Blakesley could not say exactly What articles had been purchased. She was left with 2s 42 d fpr which, at the rnoment, she could not account, She pushed the money aside and put it in tissue paper, then placed ifc with the four bangles into a box. Later she went 5 to the dispatch department with the bracelets in the ji«x, intendi' v to hand over the 2s 4i|d. She was atopped by two women detectives, She was then talcon into nnothoi Foom, where, without her eoiu.eiit, she rfas searched. Later she was eharged, anl after tht , tvmand the ehargo was withdrawn. t