Grace Falls From Grace

NZ Truth, 15 March 1924, Page 7

Grace Falls From Grace

■ » CARRIED FAINTING FROM THE DOCK. The tale that Grace Relthbergen, whose case was reported m "Truth" of March 1, was m a condition that would bring her enough trouble m due course, without being sentenced for having deprived an unmarried mother of £10 under false pretences, was disproved subsequently ln the Wellington Magistrate's Court. The accused had obtained tho mpney from a single girl under the pretence that sho was Mrs. Rayburn and would take the littlo one — lan yclept — under her maternal wing, so to speak. Accused was remanded for medical examination and when she appeared for sentence it was stated that she was not m the expectant condition, suspected, or, at least, as Btated by her counsel, Lawyer Leicester. Lawyer Leicester, nevertheless, was unperturbed, and asked for probation. He urged that the accused was ln a peculiar condition of health, but that it was not aa at first suspected. Hor condition was due to worry. Tho offence was committed m December last, and ln the meantime the accused had been admitted to probation on another charge. He asked that as she had borne out the conditions of that probation satisfactorily tlie punishment be made no harder. Tho Magistrate (Mr. Orr Walker): Do you think the Magistrate would havo admitted her to probation then had he known of this? Counsel (tactfully): Of course, that I cannot say, sir. The Magistrate: I think lt extremely unlikely. Counsel further urged that the deception practised was hardly as doep as lt appeared In that accused's name waa pronounced Rayburn. She was a married woman and had a job to go to. Mrs. Glover (Female Probation Officer) was then called. The Magistrate: You do not recommend probation then? Mrs. Glover: No; I know protty woll tho life sho has boon living. The Magistrate: The offence l« a particularly mean ono. and 'n o ™ ;« nothing to bo said m favor of the ac-cused-oxcept ono thing. She nas shown there is ono good thing en m her nnd that 1« that nho did not drag tho other young woman* namo into tho Court She pleaded guilty, otherwise I would have sentenced* her to a much longer term of Imprisonment. Sho will bo sentenced, a* it J«, to throe months' imprisonment. Accused faltered visibly during tho Magisterial words, and fell. a« sentence w.'ti pronounced, into tho arms of c. couple of constables. She was carried fainting from the dock, _a_M_H_B_a_n_o_«_B_HH_-Ki