HAWKER'S ACT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 203, 29 August 1939, Page 11

HAWKER'S ACT.

KITCHEN INCIDENT.

YOUNG GIRL OFFENDED.

REFORMATIVE DETENTION.

For an indecent act intended to insult or offend a 14-year-old girl, which the police said was deliberate, Richard William Thompson (23), farm labourer and hawker, was sentenced to a term of reformative detention by Mr. F. H. Levien, S.M., in the Police Court to-day.

Thompson, who was represented by Mr. C. E. Clarke, pleaded guilty. Detective-Sergeant McHugh said that since August 11 Thompson had been hawking toilet preparations from house to house. On August 24 he called at a house in Kingsland, where a girl of 14 was looking after two younger children. He asked her if her mother was at home and was informed that both her mother and father were out. Accused then left and called at other houses, but returned shortly afterwards and told the little girl that he was giving several articles away free. In the kitchen, in the presence of the three children, he deliberately exposed himself. The girl left with the two children. Thompson also left. "He did not interfere with the children in any way," added Mr. McHugh. "When seen by a detective, Thompson said he went back to the house as he thought the girl 'would be a sport.' It was a most deliberate act. Thompson is a single man, and has no relatives in New Zealand."

Mr. Clarke said Thompson realised the seriousness of his offence, and was genuinely sorry for what he had done. "It is in his favour," said counsel, "that lie did not molest the girl, and, when his conduct was not appreciated, he left the house."

Mr. Levien: This is not the type of offence for which probation can be planted, but is one that I think should be punished by a period of reformative detention. There are a lot of canvassers and"hawkers going about from house to house, and the public have to be protected. This is one of the socalled anti-social offcnces, and one for which the penalty should be reformative detention.

Thompson was ordered to be detained for reformative purposes for a period of six months.