THEFTS BY MEDICAL STUDENT

Southland Times, Issue 24869, 8 October 1942, Page 4

THEFTS BY MEDICAL STUDENT

Money Taken From Lockers (Special) DUNEDIN, October 7. Thefts from the lockers of fellow students at the Dunedin hospital, which netted him a total of £l4, resulted in the appearance in the Magistrate’s Court of Edward Francis Cula Hefford, a fifth-year medical student, aged 23. He faced four charges of theft. Detective-Sergeant Hall said the accused, by means of a master key, had between June 10 and September 25 last opened the lockers of several students at the hospital and had stolen four sums of money totalling £l4. He admitted the thefts and the key, which he said he had found about four months previously, was found in his watch pocket. Actually the key had been missing for i 8 months. “The thefts from the lockers of students caused the authorities no end of trouble.” Detective-Sergeant Hall said, “and in the past 18 months a total of £5l has been reported as having been stolen.” The accused had been gambling, Mr A. G. Neill said. He had been a brilliant student. He was married and used the money he earned during the vacation to furnish his home. This left him short of cash, and as he was in debt to the extent of about £lB he apparently resorted to theft. Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., said there was not one offence but a series of despicable thefts. "Words from myself,” he continued, "are insufficient to indicate how despicable it was for the accused to steal from his fellow students and take from them money of which they were more in need than he.” The accused was remanded in custody until Friday to allow the probation officer to submit a report.