UNUSUAL CHARGE

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

UNUSUAL CHARGE

WOMAN CONVICTED OF THEFT OF HER OWN - DRESS PLACED ON PROBATION An unusual charge — amounting in fact to one of stealing her own property — was preferred against a young married woman, Isabella McFarlane, in the Rotorua Magistrate's Court yesterday morning before Messrs. W. L. Richards and O. H. Coleman, J's.P. The accused was chafged under Section 234 of the Justices of the Peace Act, with "stealing one lady's dress valued at £1 5s, from the premises of Gertrude Jensen, the saict Gertrude Jensen having a special interest in the said property, and thereby committing theft." The circumstances disclosed were that the accused, a young married woman, 20 years of age, had taken a dress length to Miss Jensen to he made up. On the day that she had called back to collect the dress, Miss ' Jensen had been absent.and the accused had taken the dress from the peg where it was hanging and hidden it before the return of the occupier ! of the shop. The accused had demanded the dress which, of course, r could not be found and even when questioned by the police, protested that she knew nothing about it. However, as a result of certain information received, the police finally visited her house where they found the dress carefully hidden. Senior-Sergeant E. J. Carroll said that the woman had finally admitted ; the theft stating that she had not had i the 15s owing on the dress and had ! decided to take it. The charge was ! unusual, but in certain circumstances I a person could be charged with what in faet amounted to theft of their ' own property. The accused was a | first offender and living with her hus- ; band. The bench announced that they had decided to take a lenient view of the case and admit the acpused to a term of one year's probation. She was ordered to report to the police weekly and to pay the 15s owing on the dress.