WATCHED FOR A MONTH

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 758, 3 September 1929, Page 1

WATCHED FOR A MONTH

Young Salesmen Given Probation

thefts in city warehouse

Fob a month a detective spent nearly all his time in a city warehouse before two young; salesmen were arrested for thefts believed to have extended over 12 months. It was pleaded that laxity in the system was responsible for their departure from honesty and Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., admitted them to probation for two years and ordered them to make restitution.

Albert Frederick Rouselle and Ijjwald Graham Sutton appeared at Police Court this morning, gooselle, aged 28, was charged with emitting theft by failing to account l,t £35 which had been paid to him £ behalf of his employers. Mr. icody pleaded guilty for him. Mr. Dickson admitted, on behalf of Sutton, i salesman, aged 24, that he had committed theft by failing to account for £lO, and that he had stolen hardware rallied at £ 10. “These men are both salesmen in rhe warehouse.” said Chief-Detective Hammond. ‘‘For a year at least there US been a general shortage of stock, inquiries have been made and a watch kept, with the result that it has been discovered that these and ether employees of the firm have been making cast sales and putting through only about half the amounts. They have also been stealing small articles out oOtock. It Is evident that there was a very lax system in the warehouse.” The chief-detective assured the court that further investigations were being made.

For Rouselle, Mr. Moody said that Is was si married man, and it was his first appearance in court. Counsel blamed the laxity of the system in the warehouse for his client’s action. There was no cash register and cash for sales had to be taken down to the oSice, with the result that it was sometimes thrown down on a shel

and left for a time. Since July Rouselle had taken nothing. The Chief-detective: Since July there has been a detective in the warehouse nearly all the time. Mr. Moody asked that Rouselle be given a chance as- be bad ‘i wife to support and was a member of a respectable family. “Mr. Moody, the chief-detective and I are in agreement in regard to the laxity' of the system in the warehouse,” urged Mr. Dickson for Sutton. “I am aware that that is not an excuse, but it is a circumstance that breeds the criminal instinct. A man gets away with a thing once and thinks that he can do it again.” Mr. Dickson was of the opinion that, if his client were given a chance, he would never appear in the court again. “I know it would’ be stretching the Act for these men to be admitted to probation, but I think the action would be justified,” added counsel. Mr. Campbell, probation officer, also held the laxity of the system responsible for the offences. “Had it not been for that, I don’t think these young men would be in court,” he said. “I don’t usually recommend probation in cases where thefts extend over a long period, but I think that these are exceptional circumstances.” Mr. Rudd, for the employers, denied that there was any laxity. “It was the result of the two accused working in collusion,” he said.