SHOPLIFTING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 68, 22 March 1933, Page 3

SHOPLIFTING.

«TOO MUCH GOING 0N. ,, YOUNG WOMAN GAOLED. rt N O NEED TO STEAL." "You are old enough to know better, n d there was no need for you to steal," a -j Afr V Iv. Hunt, S.M., in the Police said Jur. J- • - 1 ' v . Court this morning, when he sent Ine Joan Libeau, aged 29, to prison for one month on one of five charges of theft. The woman pleaded guilty to five char ces of stealing two frocks each valued at £2 12/6, two pairs of stockings •orth 13/10, a pair of shoes worth 16/11, nd a fur valued at £5 from three different shops between December 7 and ilarch 17. Detective-Sergeant McHugli said that on March 17, after accused left a large citv department store, a dress valued t£2 12/6 was missed. "She returned to the same shop yesterday, bringing , u ith her the dress which she stole on Srch 17," said Mr. McHugh. "It was too big for her, and apparently she was i nf , to take another. On being accosted, she firet denied taking the r ess but when detained and later "nterviewed by Detective Mahood, she dmitted the theft and also other thefts, the proceeds of which were found in her room. Hγ. McHugh added that Mrs. Libeau •was a divorced woman, who, since comin(r from Wellington in June last, had only worked for two weeks. She lived in a room in Grafton Road. She said she could obtain money from the corespondent in Wellington whenever she ■wanted it. She had no children or other dependents. Mr. Aekins, who appeared for accused, said Mrs. Libeau had been quite frank about the whole matter, and even volunteered information about three thefts n-hich the police did not know of. She could not explain why she stoje the articles. She was very eorry for what Bhe had done and felt her position keenly. "Yes, and I will be quite frank about this matter too," said Mr. Hunt. "There is too much of this shoplifting going on. Some time ago I issued a warning that I would impose terms of imprisonment to try to stop it. You are old enough to know better, and there was no need for you to steal. One month's imprisonment."