TEACHER'S LAPSE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 103, 3 May 1930, Page 13

TEACHER'S LAPSE.

BREAKING AND ENTERING. ARTS STUDENT IN DUNEDUT. FINANCIAL EMBARRASSMENT. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)DUXEDIN", this day. When. William Robert Gibson "appeared for sentence, on a charge of breaking and entering; Ma counsel said the prisoner was 2?" years of age and came rrom a highly-respectable home. He had shown ability .and industry, and had gone through Training College as a teacher tv ith credit, afterwards: gaining his B.A. degree. - At present he was reading for his M.A. degree. Unfortunately he had been out of employment .since February. His previous conduct had been exemplary, and it was impossible to explain the extraordinary lapse. He was certainly suffering from financial embarrassment, but his friends would willingly have helped him. However, said counsel, he had alwavs been in the habit of keeping his troubles to himself. Acting under an inexplicable impulse he had broken and entered a shop where he knew money was bein» kept over the Easter vacation. Forti? nately, he was not'able to find the money, nor was anything else in the shop touched. He . must have been actuated by an insane impulse to put an end to his financial worries. Accused afterwards made frank confession and had already paid ..dearly for his crime, because he would most 'likely be struck off the list .of teachers. His Honor said the present lapse of the prisoner seemed to stand alone. He had been a teacher and was not in employment. Owing to circumstances out of his control, he had unfortunately been subjected to certain stress, which he had been unable to 'withstand. Gibson did not appear to have any associates, nor did there appear to be any bad associations which needed to be broken up. It could be expected that if probation were granted prisoner would not again appear before the Court- Instead of being sentenced tc imprisonment Gibson would be released upon probation for a term of two years.