THEFT FROM HOUSE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 125, 30 May 1933, Page 8

THEFT FROM HOUSE.

SALESMAN FINED £5. "HARD TO UNDERSTAND." Arrested by Detective Belton, a salesman, Thomas William Beech, aged 44, appeared in the Police Court, before Mr. W. R. McKcan, S.M., this morning, charged with stealing £2 10/ belonging to Euphemia; Lightbourne, on May 26. Accused, for whom Mr.i »Hough appeared, pleaded guilty. ..V V Detective-SergeantMuHugli said Beech was employed as salesman by a firm, and on Friday last, he called at Mrs. Lightbourne's house. „, Discovering that no one WasS'at home, he walked in through the back door, and took the money from "a purse. Beech was at present in-a bad state of health, having only recently been discharged from hospital after a serious attack of pneumonia. "Ho is a single man and jn constant employment at £3 0/ per week," I said Mr. McHugh. "The theft was a particularly mean one. There was no need for him to steal."

Mr. Hough said Beech was unfortunate in that he was in a bad state of health. It was his first lapse, and counsel asked that.he be-not sent to prison. He had made restitution of the money, and had already boon punished by losing his position, which heih'ad hold for 11 years. Mr. McKcan said it was hard to understand why a single man in receipt of higher wages than many married men with families should steal. It might be that his health had something to do with his lapse. He had paid the money back because lie had been found out.

Beech was filled £5, or one month's imprisonment.