TWO SHOP-LIFTERS FINED £l0 EACH

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 110, 30 July 1927, Page 9

TWO SHOP-LIFTERS FINED £lo EACH

MARRIED WOMEN IN DOCK

BAD HEALTH NO EXCUSE

r jPVVO married woman stood side A by side in the dock at the Police Court this morning, charged with shoplifting. One was in illhealth, having recently undergone an operation—the other had no excuse for her folly. The accused were Alice Marjorie Rogers, aged 46, and Rose Shaw, aged 49. Mrs. Rogers was charged with stealing goods valued at £3 2s from a city drapery shop, and Mrs. Shaw’s theft, from the same firm, was of goods valued at 17s Gd. Chief-Detective Cummings said that the thefts were committed yesterday. Mrs. Rogers was a married woman with six children, and she had recently undergone a serious operation. Mrs. Shaw’s circumstances were better than Mrs. Rogers’s. Mr. Schramm, who appeared for accused, said that neither of them had need to steal. Mrs. Rogers was in bad health, suffering from nervous disorder and loss cf memory. INNOCENTS SUFFER “It is unfortunate,” said Mr. Schramm, ‘‘that the odium from these cases falls on innocent people, therefore I ask that in the circumstances the name of Mrs. Rogers be suppressed.” Counsel said that Mrs. Shaw’s husband was a struggling farmer. The magistrate, Mr. W. R. McKean: “There has been quite a number of these cases recently, and fines do not seem to be sufficient deterrent. It is difficult to send married women to prison. Mrs. R.ogers is in bad health —that is no excuse for crime, but I do not intend to send her to prison.” Each of the accused was fined £lO, and the magistrate refused Mr. Schramm’s request.