THEFT OF GAS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 234, 3 October 1932, Page 5

THEFT OF GAS.

MARRIED WOMAN CONVICTED j USE OF RUBBER TUBING. Admitting that she had stolen gas valued at (id belonging to the Auckland Gas Company, a young married woman appeared before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., in the Police Court this morning. Detective Sergeant Ivelly said that in June last a meter reader called at the woman's house to read the meter, but although he heard someone moving about inside, no one answered his knocking at the door and he could not enter. He became suspicious and the following month he called several days before he was expected and found a piece of rubber hose pipe connected to the gas pipe near the meter, enabling gas to bo secured without it passing through the meter. The woman told him that she had left her purse at work and, wanting a batli, she had attached the piece of tubing. "In two months the consumption of gas at this woman's house went down from 1200 to 400 cubic feet," added Mr. Kelly. "She has been "saving all right, but not legally." Counsel for defendant said she had two children and found it necessary to go out to work. She had no money at the time and she frankly admitted obtaining gas without inserting a shilling in the slot, by means of the rubber hose. She was an excellent mother and had never been in any trouble before. The Magistrate: What about the husband? He should know something of this. "She is the one who is charged," replied counsel. "Possibly she took the blame to save her husband's job." Defendant was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon. Mr. Hunt made an order for the suppression of her name.