“An Audacious Theft”

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30630, 22 December 1964, Page 1

“An Audacious Theft”

Watched by several customers and scores of passers-by, a thief calmly helped himself to more than a dozen watches in a department store in the heart of Christchurch yesterday.

The thief, wearing a green hat and jersey and trousers of a nondescript colour, walked in the main entrance of Hay’s, Ltd., off Colombo street.

He removed his hat, according to an eyewitness, then got into a display window by sliding back a glass panel.

The thief removed the watches from the display stand, backed out of the window into the shop, and put the watches in his pockets. He then put on his hat and walked out of the store.

This occurred shortly after noon. A woman in the street, who thought the man “peculiarly dressed for a window dresser” told a woman customer in the store, who passed on the information to a woman shop assistant, who relayed the news to the management

The police were informed of the theft about an hour after it happened. Detectives went to the store and patrol cars sought the thief on a description given to the detectives.

However, the man in the green hat and green jersey with pockets full of watches was not seen in the area. He has not been seen since.

“An audacious theft,” commented Mr W. G. W. Rix, managing-director of Hay’s, Ltd., last evening.