Theft brings fine

Press, 18 November 1981, Page 7

Theft brings fine

An engineer, aged 19, who admitted stealing $630 in cash from a service station where he worked part-time told the police that he had no explanation other than that he had been unable to resist' the temptation. Andrew John Cox, who committed the offence between October 6 and November 16, was convicted and fined $3OO. In addition the Judge ordered Cox to pay compensation of $590. Sergeant P. T. Collins said the complainant was the proprietor of a Cranford Street service station, where the defendant had worked parttime. The complainant had noticed that takings were well down on occasions, sometimes $lOO below balance. As a result the defendant came under suspicion. Cox was spoken to by the police on November 16 when he produced four $lO notes out of his pocket which he had stolen from the cash register. Cox admitted having taken a total of $650 from the cash register. He said he started with small amounts which were undetected and proceeded to larger sums — on one occasion removing $l2O. Counsel (Mr G. Hay) said the defendant, a first offender, took the money for no reason other than that it was readily available.

He had offered to pay $25 a week in compensation. In imposing the fine the Judge said the money was stolen over a period of time when the. defendant occupied a position of trust. SENT BACK A youth convicted of escaping from the Corrective Training Centre on August 13 was returned there when he appeared for sentence. Eric John Smith, aged 18 (Mr W. Rosenberg) who admitted the offence, told the police he escaped because he wanted to return to find a job in Nelsom In returning Smith to the centre the Judge said leniency had,been extended in the past to the defendant who had made 11 court appearances for offences of dishonesty before receiving a custodial sentence. ESCAPER A man told the police when recaptured that he escaped from Paparua Prison because he was “getting a hard time,” said. Sergeant Collins. Richard James Thomas Finlay, aged 38, who admitted the offence which took place on September 14, was convicted and remanded in custody to December 1 for a probation report and sentence. Sergeant Collins said that Finlay had been sentenced to a term of two years imprisonment in Dunedin after

being convicted on a charge of burglary. Late on September 14. prison authorities had reported Finlay missing from Paparua Prison. He was located next day on the northern outskirts of Christchurch, he said. Counsel (Mr M. J. Knowles) said there was a psychiatric background to the offence.