POLICE COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 189, 11 August 1919, Page 6

POLICE COURT.

(Before Mr. J. E. Wilson. S.M.) A CHANCE GIVEN. Edith Bennett, alias Pownall, who appeared on remand charged with th. : theft of a number of small articles from J a bedroom in the Wavcrley Hotel at the : beginning of the month, pleaded guilt, urging that the lapse was due to her inebriated condition at the time. She j also admitted a breach of her prohibition order. His Worship convicted and ordered her up for sentence within 12 months on the first charge, and con" victed and ordered payment of medical expenses in respect to the second. CONTRASTING EXTRAVAGANT HABITS. A youth named George Edward Pardington appeared on two charges of theft from his employers, Messrs. George Court and Sons, committed at the end of last month and early in the present one. Tho value of the goods stolen totalled about £15, and Mr. A. Moody who appeared for him, stated that the offences were admitted, but pleaded that his client, who had before hi., present employment been engaged at Sargood Son, and Ewens, had until this borne an excellent character. The fixing up of a "bach" had apparently been .esponsible for the trouble.

1 Chief Inspector Marsack explained that the accused wa_ discovered by the house manager at Messrs. George Court's establishment to be secreting a pieco of and when accused of theft he admitted it, and revealed the whereabouts of other articles he had purloined and secreted. Mr. McMahon explained that he knew the lad's parents as being highly estimable people, and expressed the opinion that the lapse would not be repeated if leniency were shown. Apparently extravagant habits had been contracted, and accused had yielded to temptation to steal articles" from his employers to help in fixing up a "bach" he had with some other young fellowsThe young man was earning 35/ a week, and yet was asked to pay only 7/ a week to his father for board money, consequently he had more to spend than was good for him. Tlie magistrate decided to put Pardington on probation for a period of two years, and on the recommendation of the probation officer he was required to give a weekly account of his earnin_ 3 and expenditure, in addition to the other usual requirements imposed on one under probation. THE INEBRIATE EIST. Frank Augustus Mens admitted his third offence, a broken prohibition order, and also to having been unlawfully on licensed premises. He was given seven days with hard labour, the Magistrate remarking, in answer to his protest, that the labour would not be beyond Mens" physical capacity. Eliza Jane Barrett was fined £'1 for drunkenness, an d a first offender was also dealt with.