PICKPOCKET GAOLED

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 915, 7 March 1930, Page 1

PICKPOCKET GAOLED

CAUGHT ON RACECOURSE JUDGE’S SUMMING UP Press Association „ HAMILTON, Today. On the first day of the Rotorua Races a visitor to the course from Auckland, Percy Lock, felt a hand in his pocket Pie quickly grasped it and found that it belonged to David Alexander Swanson, a middle-aged man with a criminal record. He handed the man OA’er to Detec-tive-Sergeant Thompson, and SAvanson next day at Rotorua pleaded guilt\ r to charges of attempted theft from the person. Today he came up for sentence before Mr. Justice Smith at Hamilton. I risoner handed in a written statement pointing out that he had not been convicted of any serious offence for 25 years His Honour said the offence was a serious one. Had the prisoner not had any previous con\'ictions, however, he might have been disposed to grant him probation. He had, however, been convicted of theft from a totalisator, house breaking and assault on the police. True, these offences had been committed a long time ago. In 1928. hoA\*e\ T er, he had been convicted of false pretences at Palmerston Xorth, and now had proceeded to pick pockets on a racecourse. His Honour said it seemed to him that, in the circumstances, he must impose a Term of imprisonment, although he would give prisoner credit for the effort he hafi made to recover himself and to wipe out his previous record Swanson was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment.