Shoplifting Couple Given Months Gaol

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 896, 13 February 1930, Page 13

Shoplifting Couple Given Months Gaol

ARREST IN CITY STORE

SEEN AT WORK 'TOGETHER “I am going to convict them both,” declared Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., when a man and woman appeared before him this morning at the Police Court, charged with shoplifting. “I am not sure that the woman is not worse, as she stood by and watched the man steal. Everything stolen was taken for her,” the magistrate added. Henry Reed McKeating and Evelyn Myrtle Julian, a married woman, were each sentenced to one month’s imprisonment. They had been arrested in a city store on Friday evening, January 31. McKeating, a cleaner aged 34, and Julian, aged 32, were charged with stealing clothing and toilet articles valued at £7 7s 6d on January 31, and clothing valued at £ls 11s also on January 31, from stores. There was a third charge in respect of clothing, toilet articles and jewellery valued at £ll 6s 4d from a store on January 20. Mr. F. D. McLiver entered a plea of guilty for McKeating, and Mr. Sullivan appeared for the woman, entering a plea of not guilty. Shop assistants from the store where the two accused had been caught gave evidence of the suspicious manner in which the couple had behaved in the shop. In one department the man had handed down frocks to the woman from a rack. She measured them against herself and handed them hack to the man, who was hidden from the eyes of the witnesses. One assistant described the manner in which McKeating and the woman had stolen a jumper. McKeating had rolled up one jumper and put it on the side of the table. Mrs. Julian then held up another garment, shielding her companion as he stuffed the rolled-up jumper in a hag. At the pyjama counter, another assistant said, the woman had asked for a pair of a colour that was not in stock. She had then looked over the stock, and witness saw the man drawing a pair toward him. After they had gone witness missed a pair of pyjamas. A young woman who had seen the theft of the jumper had told her department head. They had followed the two accused down in the lift and, on the ground floor, witness’s companion caught hold of McKeating while witness took Mrs. Julian’s arm. McKeating had created something of a disturbance and Mrs. Julian had urged that she had nothing to do with the man. After some persuasion she had gone to the office quietly. Assistants from the store, and one from the warehouse which the two accused had visited earlier in the evening, identified goods produced as being the property of their firms. Some of the goods had been found in Julian’s house, and the balance In a fruit sho.p where McKeating had left some of his parcels before the visit to the second store.

“I DON’T REMEMBER” McKeating answered most of ChiefDetective Hammond’s questions with the simple but unsatisfactory reply: ‘‘l don’t remember.” He had been a cleaner in the employ of the Transport Board, and had been boarding at- Julian’s house since October. “I have been out shopping with Mrs. Julian on several occasions,” he continued. The Magistrate: And very cheap shopping, too. McKeating admitted having been with the woman on the evening they were arrested. They had gone to the warehouse, where witness had stolen some articles which he parcelled up with the paper that had been round some bottles of beer. The parcels had been left in a fruit shop. Both witness and Mrs. Julian had had some drink at an hotel, and then had tea in town before going on to the second store. ‘‘l never stole anything for myself,” McKeating added. “It was all women’s, apparel for Mi's. Julian.” Cross-examined by Mr. Sullivan. McKeating admitted that he had been told by Julian to leave the house on the Sunday before he was arrested. He had later been asked to stay. From time to time he had given Mrs. Julian presents, most of which had been the property of his late wife. Mr. Sullivan advanced the suggestion that the woman was a victim. McKeating had given her gifts and had paid 25s a week board at Julian's house since October. JH e was a nightwateliman. McKeating, who was a cheeky type, had been asked to leave the house by accused’s husband, owing to the familiar manner in which he addressed Mrs. Julian and his desire to force himself upon their company. WANTED CHEAP FROCK The accused Julian corroborated much of her counsel’s statement. She was unaware that anything had been taken in the stores she and McKeating had visited. McKeating had held her bag while she tried on a frock at one store.- It was to buy a frockwhile the sales were on that she had gone to tile store. Accused described herself as a married woman with one child. I was looking for a cheap frock,” she said. “And you found several,” agreed the chief-detective. Henry Basil Julian said he had ordered McKeating out of the house As counsel had stated, he resented' the way in which the man spoke to his wife and forced himself upon witness and Mrs. Julian. For McKeating, Mr. McLiver advanced the excuse that he was suffering from worry and the effect of several accidents. He had had accidents to his head and suffered from blood pressure. An accident to his eye had made him colour blind. Accused' was a. widower with four children. His wife had died IS months ■ ago. “He did these foolish things through worry and drink,” added counsel. “He has lost his position with the Transport Board, but is readv for punishment for what he did. He is not going to hide behind a woman’s skirts.” Julian showed no sign of perturbation when the sentence of one month’s imprisonment was imposed upon both her and McKeating.