CHARGE OF THEFT.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 March 1917, Page 3

CHARGE OF THEFT.

A young mam named George Reid pleaded guilty to a charge of theft oi ±/a when charged at Magistrate’s Court Groymowth yesterday. Sergeant Egan explained that the defendant had recently worked at Hi mu and had been paid by cheque for £2. The cheque was tendered to Mrs. Sherrill Hotelkeeper at Hokitika in payment for a drink. A mistake was made in the giving of change , a £-5 note having been handed to defendant in lieu of a£l note. The defendant had afterwards admitted receiving the wrong change and had promised to make good. The promise was not kept and a civil action was taken at Hokitika for the recovery of (the £4. The defendant failed to appear, and an information for theft was then laid. The defendant failed to appear on the latter charge, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Tho defendant explained that ho had admitted receiving tthe £o noto when asked, but he had not found out the msitako in tho change till some days afterwards, when he presented the supposedly £1 noto in payment of another debt. He had promised ito pay the plaintiff as soon as he got back to work as ho was, at that time, off work as the result of an injured finger. Ho had spent tho “liver” before anyone had claimed it. In reply to the Magistrate, tho defendant said his present; employer would advance the money. Defendant was convicted and remanded lor sentence till Saturday, Mr Hutchison intimating that the penalty would depend on what the defendant’s employer did for him in the interim.