THEFT OF RINGS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 66, 19 March 1942, Page 8

THEFT OF RINGS

MAORI WOMAN SENT TO GAO!

A sentence nf six months' imprisnn ment was imposed on a vnunc; married Maori woman, Hilda \Vi, at the Pukekohe Police Court yesterda v by Mr. J. 11. l.uxford. S.M - .'. for the theft of three diamond rinrrs valued at £45, the property of a Waiuku watchmaker. H. Richardson. Accused pleaded guilty. EvidT.ee was led by Serjeant T. Kelly to the efTeci that the shopkeeper missed the rings after accused had been in his shop twice during the morning of March 4. She was traced to Mercer, where she was interviewed liy Constable F. Pollard, who located the most valuable ring' priced at £17 10/, in her bacrgag'e. She denied all knowledge of the other two rings, but subse'iuT" v admitted to Constable K. i-;. f o u ;in ;i a police matron, when she was on remand to Auckland Prison, that she had thrown them into the mud at the Waiuku wharf. Constable 1). J). Crawford was informed. '\ftc 14 tides had been over the riiVr/thev were buried in the mud. The constable made two thorough si arches and was about, to give tip x}io iob as impo.-sible, when, while drawing a gum-booted foot from three feet of mud he saw something that at iirst looked like a shell. Lie picked it out oi the mud and it proved to be one ot the mites. ]■ urther immediate search resumed in the recovery oi' tne second ring.

Sergeant Ketiy said accused had been convicted previously of theft.