THEFTS BY POSTAL OFFICIAL.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20420, 15 December 1931, Page 6

THEFTS BY POSTAL OFFICIAL.

NINE MONTHS* IMPRISONMENT. (PRIBS A.BBOCIATIOM TILXaSAIi.) AUCKLAND, December 14. "The report of the probation officer is unfavourable and apparently you have been going said Mr Justice 'Smith in passing sentence Upon William James Hall at the Supreme Court. Prisoner had pleaded guilty to two charges of theft of postal packets and one charge of forging a registered letter receipt. . In pleading for leniency, counsel for prisoner said offences by postal officials were particularly deplorable because they caused suspicion to be cast upon innocent people. In Hall's case this was not so, because, he had admitted his offences to the police. He was 27 years of age. had 14 years' honourable service in tlie Post Office, and had a wife and four children. His acts had ruined his career and brought the f;reatest unhappiness upon himself and amily. "How ne came to commit the offences goodness only knows," v added counsel; His Honour: Have you seen the probation officer's report? Counsel: No, sir. His Honour: Then fou had better look at it. Counsel, after reading the report, said it seemed that when people got into a certain state of mind they went the pace regardless of the consequences. The amount involved in the charges was £l6 17s 6d. His Honour said the charges were serious and the public had to be protected. "The probation officer's report is not a good one, and apparently you have been going the pace. I am not going to refer to the charges in detail. You will be sentenced to nine months' imprisonment upon each charge, the sentences to be concurrent."