A MEAN THEFT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 August 1941, Page 2

A MEAN THEFT

MONEY TAKEN FROM COLLECTION BOX

AUCKLAND WOMAN FINED,

STORY OF A POLICE TRAP.

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, August 18

When Mrs Laura Frances Martin, who last Friday was charged with stealing 14s from the Fighting Forces Fund, appeared in the Magistrates Court this afternoon she changed her plea from not guilty to guilty. The magistrate, Mr Hunt, in inflicting the maximum fine of £2O, said that in view of accused’s age he would not send her to prison.

"To steal money from a collection box is not only depriving the soldiers for whom the money is being collected, but also it destroys the confidence of the public in giving to other collections,” he said.

Detective-Sergeant Nalder, who conducted the prosecution, said when the hearing of the case began on Friday that accused was well known in public life and often in the past had assisted in street collections.

In consequence of information received police officers the day before the street collection saw Mr Langstone, secretary-manager of the St John Ambulance Association, who was in charge of the collection. A total of £1 worth of coins was marked by Mr Langstone in the presence of the two detectives to make them readily identifiable. On the following morning accused was issued with a collecting box numbered 55. She began collecting and was under observation by two detectives. Mr Langstone issued £1 worth of marked money to five persons and he and the detectives saw them place the coins into the box held by accused. Later accused went into a cake shop and when she came out she had a suitcase and a parcel the shape of the box. She placed the parcel in the suitcase and. followed by the detectives, went to a convenience in the Ferry Buildings, being absent for some time. When she came.out she took the box out of the suitcase, left the case at a shop, and handed in the box at a stall about 4.20 p.m., Mr Nalder said. The detectives had seen that fresh paper had been pasted over the box when she left the Ferry Buildings, and after it had been handed in Detective Mahood drew accused's attention to it. Accused said that the sealing paper had become worn and she had placed new paper on the box at the post- office. The detectives would say that accused had not gone to the post office. Accused was taken to Mr Langstone, continued Mr Nalder, and when the box was opened it contained £2 11s Old, the ' money including marked coins totalling 5s 6d. She had £1 15s 6d in her handbag and the detectives identified two of the coins as .being marked. Accused said the money in her bag was her egg moifey and later altered this explanation and said it was social security money. ‘‘The detectives drew her attention to the markings and she. said that someone had bumped against her in the Queen's Arcade and 3s 6d worth of coins had i come out and she had put them in her pocket," stated Mr Nalder. “The detectives will say that she did not drop the box and no one bumped into her. She then said that the money was kept for refreshments and that ‘the workman is worthy of his hire.'"