THEFT OF EQUIPMENT

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 57, 4 September 1918, Page 7

THEFT OF EQUIPMENT

ELDERLY MAN'S LAPSE.

An elderly man. named Roland Jocelyn Bailey was charged before Mri W. (i. Biddell, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court this morning, with the theft of various,'' articles of military equipment, valued at £19 19s sd, from the New Zealand Government Stores, between Ist June and 31st August. Charles Gray, -Assistant Provost-Mai, .shal, said that the accused held the rank o£ private, and was employed at the Buckle-street Stores, in close proximity to the equipment stores. On 24th August witness paid a visit to accused's Toom in Kent-terrace, and there found three military kits containing the articles mentioned in tho information. Accused said 1 that some.of the articles were hi3, and the remainder wero the property of tho Defence Department. .

Accused, ploaded guilty.

Chief Detective Bod<l;im said; that Bailey had been attached to the military forces for a.boiit two months, and had stated that he 'had. had two sons at the front, one of whom 'had been reported missing and the other .wounded. Bailey had been in the Dominion for about twenty-nine years, but nothing previously was known against him. All the stolen property had been recovered. Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M., said that it, was very regrettable that an elderly man, who had previously led an honest life, should stoop to the crime of theft. Accused would be convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upoii. An order was made that the goods should bo returned to tho Defence Department.