THEFT FROM SHOP

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 38, 8 November 1933, Page 7

THEFT FROM SHOP

Seaman Admits Offence

A plea of guilty to a charge of theft of a roll of matting valued at 30/-, was entered in the Police Court yesterday by Thomas O’Shea, seaman, aged 33, before Mr. E. Page, S.M. lie was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon within twelve months. Senior-Sergeant Dompsy said that at 4 o’clock on Monday afternoon O’Shea went to the To Aro Furniture Company’s premises, took a roll of matting and walked away with it. A passer-by outside informer] the manager, and a son of the proprietor followed O’Shea up the street and asked him to come back to the shop, which he did. 'When he reached the shop be ran away again, but was caught and brought back. He explained that hi wife bud died about a week before, which was found to be true, and be wanted to go to prison, cle had two small children, which were being cared for by relatives, and he was unemployed. Accused had been before the court previously on charges of drunkenness and allied offences, it was stated, but never before for theft. From the dock accused said that he had always led an honest life. bu( at the time of the theft did not know what he was doing. He asked for leniency. The probation officer. Mr. T. P. Mills, said if was not altogether a ease for probation, he thought an order that accused should come up for sentence if called upon might lx* desirable. . . I