SHOPLIFTER IN COURT.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20731, 16 December 1932, Page 7

SHOPLIFTER IN COURT.

WOMAN GRANTED PROBATION. A woman shoplifter, charged with 15 offences, was dealt with in the Police Court yesterday by Mr E. D. Mosley, S.M., when Laviiiia Donovan, a domestic, aged 41, was charged with Btealing goods to a total value of £l7 10s lid from various City firms. Mr C. 8. Thomas, for accused, asked that she bo dealt with summarily, and pleaded guilty to all the charges. She was charged with tho theft of goods valued as follows: —From the New Zealand Farmers' Co-operative sociation, 4s 3d; from Beath and Co., Ltd., £2 10s; from Londontown, Ltd.. £2 18s 4d; from persons unknown, £3 Ss Id; from Hutchinson and White, 13s 6d; from the .New Zeah'-nd Farmers' Cooperative Association, i.l 2s sd; from the D.1.C., Ltd.. £1 Bs. 6d; from Kays, Ltd., £l; from Millers, Ltd., 12s od; from W. E. Munday and Sons, Ltd., ss; from Minsons, Ltd., Is Cd; from Woolworths, Ltd., £1 7s sd; from Ashby, Bergh, Ltd., £1 12s; from Simpson and Williams, Ltd., 7s (3d; from Eileen Ellen Taylor, one pot of jam. Chief-Detective J. Carroll said that after the woman had been arrested in a-City store she had frankly admitted the theft of the goods. She had said that she could not help stealing and she had taken a lot of things that she coula not possibly have had any use for. She had several children and he

suggested that this . might be a caße that could be dealt with otherwise than by imprisonment. Mr Thomas said the woman's husband was a decent man, who had been in very bad health for the past two years as tho result of war injuries. There were five children, ranging in age from 12 down to two, all of them in bad health. "Of course, the circumstances are rather peculiar in this case," said the Magistrate, "and they incline the Court to grant the benefits of the Probation Act. I do it with a good deal of doubt, I must say, because the thefts have been systematic and spread over a long period of time. However, I am going to take the risk." Accused was convicted on each charge and admitted to probation for two years.