THIEF CAUGHT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 304, 23 December 1940, Page 8

THIEF CAUGHT.

STOLE XMAS BOXES.

LABOURER SENT TO GAOL.

If the owner of a parcel containing Christmas presents s-uitable for a lady, or ladies, can correctly describe the contents to the police, he or she may obtain the said parcel, stolen on Friday by Bert Teague, a labourer of r>o, who appeared before Mr. J. Moiling. S.M., in the Police Court to-day and admitted two* thefts.

Teague. for whom Mr. W. Noble appeared, was charged with stealing a box containing a hat valued «t £2 0/6 belonging to Daphne Knight, and a parcel containing articles and money of a total value of £.5 10/, the property of some person unknown.

Constable P. Mathieson, who happened to be off duty on Friday et 3.50 p.m., said he saw Teague, whom he knew well, in High Street. Teague had a brown paper parcel under his arm. He saw Teague go to a delfvery van and take from it a cardboard box. Teagiie disappeared into a nearby hotel. Witness followed him and asked him where he got the parcels from. Teague denied all knowledge of both parcels. "In the brown pa[>er parcel which he had under his arm before I saw him take the cardboard box, I found some Christinas presents in an envelope which contained eums of money," added Constable Mathieson. "The accused had some liquor, although he was not drunk." Sub-Inspector Calwell said there was nothing on the brown paper parcel to identify the owner. It had either been stolen from a well-known Queen Street shop, or else stolen from a motor car. Teague has a list of previous convictions. He is a drunkard and a thief." On Teague's behalf Mr. Noble said that nearly everything he had done in the past had been due to over-indul-gence in liquor. On Friday when he was arrested Teague was drunk. Mr. Morling: Something must be done to curb him. I see by his list that he has three convictions for theft this year. He must have a period of correction. Teague was sentenced to three months' imprisonment, to be followed by reformative detention for 12 months.