DETECTIVE IN RUGBY TEAM

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 297, 12 September 1938, Page 10

DETECTIVE IN RUGBY TEAM

Hotel Thief Arrested

OFFENDER SENT TO JAIL FOR MONTH Acting-Detective D. Wliillans. a. member of the Auckland Rugby tootball team, was responsible for (be arrest of a hotel thief in Wellington on Friday night. Basil Goodwin Breeze, labourer, aged 33, pleaded guilty before Mr J. L. Stout, S.M., in the Magistrates’ Court on Saturday to three charges of theft from hotel servants' rooms of sums of money totalling £4/12/-. He was sentenced to a month’s imprisonment on each charge, the sentences to be concurrent.

Accused came to Wellington from Mastertoll by taxi, said Detective-Ser-geant P. Doyle, and had liquor on the way. In Wellington be visited various hotels and at 3 p.m. entered the servants' quarters of one and took money from bedrooms. An hour later, after' having more liquor, he went to the Empire Hotel, where be was found in suspicious circumstances in the room of a member of the Auckland Rugby team. The team contained three members of the police force, and accused was arrested by Acting-Detec-tive Whillans. “This demonstrates the value to the public of having members of the police force associated with that fine sport,” said the detective-sergeant. “Drink appears to be the cause of accused’s downfall. He is all right when he stays in the country. In .Tune he was admitted to probation on a theft charge.” The sum of 35/- in accused’s possession was ordered to be divided among the hotel employees from whom the money was stolen.