SHARP LESSON

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 134, 29 January 1932, Page 5

SHARP LESSON

theft from shop MAN DPSCOVERED BENDING OVER COUNTER AND TILL THREE MONTHS HARD LABOUR "YoU have been treated leniently so- far, arid you need a sharp lesson," said- the Magistrate, Mr. S. L. Patersori S.M., yesterday when sentencing Patrick O'Keefe, a painter, to three months hard labour on a charge of stealing the sum of 30/- in cash from the premises of Messrs Adams Bruce 'Ltd. in Fenton Street on the afternooU of January 26! Although O'Keefe denied the theft, evidence Was given hy the proprietrejs of ihe shop' and an assistant that they had aedosted the man when he Was in the aet of "bending over the counter, and that when they had investigatfed, they had found that a surn of money had 'been taken from the till. When accused of the theft, O'Keefe had stated that he was going for the police and wallced out of the shop. The proprieti'ess, Mrs. Edwards, followed him' into the street, but when she asked a bystander to watch the man while she was ringing the police, O'KCeke and his volunteer guard walked off together and disappeared. The following day, the accused was discovered on the lake frorit by Senior Sergeant Carroll and arrested in connect'ion with the theft.

Leafting Over the Counter Outlining the facts of the case. the Senior Sergeant said that on the afternoon of the date in question, Q' Keefe had called twice at the Adams . Bruce cake shop and had purchased , ice creams. Abou't half an hour after his second visit, an assistant in the shop, looking through a curtain sit tHe back had observed O'Keefe agairi iri the shop arid leaning over the counter. When She had accosted him, he had asked for more icecreams hut noticing that the till had been pulled out she had become suspicious. When she looked in the till, and discovered that the greater part "of the change had disappeared, she had dccused O'Keefe of stealing* the money. The accused thereupon said that he would go for the police and walked out of the shop. The proprietress, Mrs, Edwards, followed him into the street and eventually suceeded iri persuading a bystander to watch the man while she 'phoned the police from a neighbouring shop. While Mrs Edwards was doing this, however, accused, and the other man disappeared together. Accused Suspected. The accused had been suspected of the theft, and inquiries had been made at the boarding house where . he had heen staying. However, he had not returried to the house late that night and it was not until the ' next day that he had been discovered on the lake front, lying in the grass. He had heen brought to the station where he had made a statement denying the theft. ! The sergeant's outline was corrohorated by Muriel Pascoe, a married woman working in the shop, who said that accused was the man whom she had accused of the theft in the shop The till opened quietly and the counter was low. Walked Off Together Doris Edwards, the proprietress of the shop, said that only eoppers and a few threepenny pieces were left in the till. When accused left the .shop he did not go in the direction of the police station hut the opposite way. She followed him into the street and asked bystanders to assist her but they would not do so until one man offered 'to watch accused while she 'phoned the police from a shop. While She' was doing this, both men disappeared. She had noticed this second man passing her shop that morning, hut by the time she had got outside, he had disappeared again. She was sure that the accused was the man who had entered the shop. "Senior Sergeant Carroll In evidence said that the following day, he had found the accused _ lying in the grass by the lake front. O'Keefe had said that he was just about to go round to the police statiori as he had been told that he was suspected of the theft. He denied that he was responsibie and when he was taken to the station, made a statement to that effect.

Constable Kelly produeed this statement in which accused sai.d that he had been working at the Guthrie settlement and had only arrived in the town -on the Monday. Accused had admitted that he had twice visited the shop for the purpose of buying icecreams, but had stated that this third visit was also for the same purpose. According to , O'Keefe's story he had only heen leaning across the counter waiting to be served, when the assistant had come out and charged him with interf ering with the till. Accused denied that he had taken any money or had touched the till in any way.

Asked whether he had anything to Say, O'Keefe said that he could not add anything to his statement. Sharp Lesson The Magistrate said that he had no doubt in his mind that the aceused had taken the money. He had been in the shop at the time it had disappeared and had heen found in suspicious cireumstances. When he was accused of the theft his behaviour had riot heen that of an innocent person. He had run away, which in common law was prima faeie evidence of guilt. - * • ■

After mspectiiig the accused s list, his Worship rbmarked that he had alteady heen ednvicted of the unlawful ttse of a bicycle, of breaking and enterirtg, and of a breach of prdhation. Oi) all tliese offeriees, he had "been treated leniently and had been admitted to prohation, -hut* what he needed riow was a sharp lesson. He would be sentenced-to three months' imprisonment with hard labour and the police woulj see that he was brought up for sentenee on the charge of breaking and entering. His present offence was a breach of his probation in regard to that conviction.