"DESPICABLE THEFT"

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 673, 27 October 1933, Page 6

"DESPICABLE THEFT"

MAN SENT TO GAOL RELIEF WORKEFL WHO HELD CHURCH SERVICES IN FORESTRY CAMP ROBBED AN ACQUAINTANCE Describing the offence as "mean and despicable," Messrs. W. L. Richards and O. H. Coleman, J's. P., yesterday sent a labourer named James St. Clair Williamson to gaol for three months for the theft of £6 in money and an 8s postal note from one Alfred Moffat, an inmate of King George V. Hospital. Senior-Sergeant E. J. Carroll stated that on October 9, Moffat, who was an inmate of King George V. Hospital, had come into town and drawn approximately £6 in war pensions money. In an hotel bar, he had met the accused Williamson and the pair had had several drinks together. Moffat, who had shown the money he was carrying to Williamson, had become slightly under the influence of 'liquor and the accused had assisted him back to the hospital where he had helped to put him to bed. Williamson had been with Moffat when he was undressing and in the morning when he woke, Moffat had found thdt his money and papers were missing. He had suspected Williamson and had given a description of him to the police. Enquiries had shown that Williamson had cashed a five pound note soon after leaving the hospital and had left Rotorua by.the early train next morning. He had been arrested in Auckland ten days later when he had only twopence in his possession. Held Church Services The accused was a relief work and had been in one of the f orestry camps at Kaingaroa before he came into Rotorua. He was single and had a number of convictions for false pretences to his credit. ' Williamson had made a statement admitting the theft and attributing his lapse to drink. He was rather a difficult case. When he had gone into camp he had represented that he was an ordained A.ngliean minister and had even conducted some form of religious service in the camp. He had recently been released from a term of imprisonment and was on license when he committed this offence. The bench : A hypocrite. Asked whether he had anything to say, Williamson stated that all his lapses had been due to drink. When he was sober he had no inclination to commit crimes of this nature. The bench: It was a despicable and mean thing to steal from a sick man. The accused: I can only plead that it was due to the effect of drink, _sir. I have tried to keep myself straight by taking out prohibition orders. The bench: But you went away with this man's money the next morning. You du not appear to deserve any eonsideration whatever. The faet that you were on license at the time aggravates the offence. The bench, summing up, said that Williamson had committed a despicable theft by robbing a sick man un- • der pretence of being his friend. He would be sentenced to three months' imprisonment conditional upon his taking out a prohibition order against himself. If he did not take out an order, the sentence would be heavier.