“I TAKE THE BLAME”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 626, 1 April 1929, Page 11

“I TAKE THE BLAME”

CONVICT SHIELDS WOMAN AN AMAZING UNION An ex-convict and a smartly-dressed woman were partners in a strange acquaintanceship that was described at Brighton Quarter Sessions. The couple, Alfred Henry Douglas, 54, tailor, and Phyllis Tetlow, 45, pleaded guilty to breaking into a villa in Windleshaw Gardens and taking a brooch and seme clothing. The woman, dressed in a blue costume with a White scarf loosely thrown round her shoulders, seemed astonished when her companion’s criminal record was revealed. Mr. Marjoribanks, prosecuting, explained fliat the house was entered by way of a window, and all the rooms were found in disorder. A wardrobe was forced ppen and a cashbox was broken. Douglas tried to dispose of the things at a second-hand clothes shop, but a police officer happened to be there and questioned him. The woman was found wearing a stolen coat and trying to raise money on a pair of shoes. When told that Douglas had been arrested, she” admitted' the offence.—Douglas, in custody, made a statement. exonerating tlie woman, and saying she had very little or no guilty knowledge. He...added:— I brought her down from London, and for whatever has happened, I, Wish to take the responsibility on my- own shoulders. The woman, when charged, reI marked, “My old. man has said all.”— i Deputy-Superintendent Taylor described Douglas as a Londoner who I first came under the notice of the I police in 1899, when, at North London session, he was setnenced to 10 months’ hard labour for burglary,. At the Old Bailey, in 1902, he had 12 months for warehouse-breaking. FIVE YEARS’ PENAL SERVITUDE In 1908, again at the Old Bailey, he was given 12 , months in the name of Frank Harry Steevens, for attempted housebreaking. Two years later he had 18 months at the same court for receiving, and in 1912, at. Norm London Sessions, he was given 21 months’ for warehouse breaking in .the name of Frank Harry Douglas. In 1914 he was ordered 21 months at London Sessions for attempted burglary. Afterwards Douglas was employed as a cook on a railway dining car, and gave satisfaction until 1918. In 1919 he had three years’ penal servitude for shopbreaking at Bournemouth. In 1922 he was sentenced to three and ahalf years at Middlesex Sessions for housebreaking, and in 1925 he was ordered 12 months at Essex Quarter Sessions for attempted housebreaking Douglas was found work at a billiard hall, but one day he abscondec with £l3. Later he lived with Tet low in Bloomsbury and at Brighton The woman was a native of Bath, anc at first gave her age as 25. She hac refused any information about her self, but it had been ascertained that she was married. Her husband coulc not be traced, and she had been con victed of immoral offences. Douglas told the Recorder he would have stuel to his job in the billiard hall, but ii happened to be near Peiitonvilk Prison, where he served his last sen tence, and he was frequently recog nised. He did not visit Brighton t< commit robbery, and got only abou 10s out of the theft. He added, could have got a good job at one o your classy hotels, not a bed-and breakfast business, if I had bad al insurance card or credentials.” Tin Recorder, Mr. J. D. Cassels, K..C., sen tenced Douglas to 21 montlis liarc labour, and. bound Tetlow over.