OVERCOME BY REMORSE

NZ Truth, Issue 1262, 6 February 1930, Page 8

OVERCOME BY REMORSE

Thief Confesses To Police

FOR SENTENCE

(From "N.Z. Truth's" .Christchurch RepO . • v.y-' W/HEN suffering from the effects of a v drinking bout William Charles Lidgett, a 30-years-old laborer, committed two burglaries and also two minor thefts. Apparently, when he realised the seriousness of his acts he was overcome by remorse, and he went to the Christchurch detective office at 2 o'clock one morning and confessed' to having committed the crimes. ■When he was brought before Mr. E. D. Mosley, SiM., Jn the Christchurch Magistrate's Court his' masried niece, Ruth Boskell, at whose house he resided, said that one evening he came into her room and showed her aome serviette rings and a marble bedroom clock which he said he had got from his wife from whom he was separated. On the following . morning she ,went into a shed and saw there a hand-sewing machine and another clock. She then visited his wife's place and found that the articles had not been taken from there. Oh returning home she told her uncle to remove the things immediately. Charles Sheppard Fulford said that he had left his house unoccupied while he spent a holiday at the beach, •• and on returning he found evidence that it had been entered. The articles mentioned by Mrs. Boskell. were missing. He valued them at £14'. 0r £15. 1 In a statement he made to th^ police Lidgett admitted having broken into the h^otise, and confessed to having 1 stolen the goods which he. .said he sold to an Indian hawker named Kara. . He had been drinking heavily for about a fortnight, he said. , , Acting- detective MoKenzie said that_ Lidgett called at the detective offi/oe at' 2 o'clock one morning and gave'himself up. Lidaett admitted having broken into the petrol station of Thomas Watson ;on Cashmere Road and having stolen 1/10 m; coppers and three packets of cigarettes. >/ He denied stealing from tHere three motor-car tubes, worth *<1 /1 3/6,, and two sums of money* totalling 15/-. On both rha^e-es of b^eiking and nnterinpr, . to whi^h he pleaded" guilty, Lideetfwas committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. . - Sentence on the two theft charges, one m respect of goods valued at. £4/5/- and the other of a bicycle worth £1, was deferred. V ;