THEFT CHARGES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 August 1938, Page 6

THEFT CHARGES

ERNEST MINIFIE SENT TO GAOL. CONVICTION IN WELLINGTON. (By Telegraph —Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Described by the police as a sneak thief of a particularly bad type, Ernest Minifie. a baker and driver, aged 27. was sentenced to a month’s imprisonment for the attempted theft of three keys, and to three months’ hard labour for the theft of a suit, wallet and money of n total value of £5 ss. the property of J. P. Gore, the terms to be concurrent. It was stated that accused booked in at the Salvation Army Hostel and was allotted a room. On the same afternoon, the suit, wallet and money were taken from an adjoining room. Accused offered to sell the suit to a barman, but was refused. He later induced a friend to pawn it, giving 2s 6d for the service. In the matter of the attempted theft, an attendant at the hostel heard the till bell ringing. He then saw accused searching the till, which contained the keys of the store room. Accused had come out of gaol on August 13, after serving a term of a month. Thomas Harvey, ship’s fireman, aged 39. pleaded guilty to disposing of the suit and was ordered to come up for sentence If called upon within six months, on condition that he take out a prohibition order. The police said the man’s story that had just made Minifie’s acquaintance and was the worse for liquor was quite true.