SHOP-LIFTER CAUGHT

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 40, 15 August 1925, Page 22

SHOP-LIFTER CAUGHT

SENTENCED TO IMPRISONMENT.

(BI TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

AUCKLAND, 14th August. Six charges of stealing from city firms clothing iind fancy goods of a total value of £79 18s 6d were admitted by Mabel Olivia Cross (aged 32), in the Magistrate's Court to-day. Accused pleaded guilty to further charges of attempting to -commit suicide on 18th July, and of committing a* breach of the conditions of her release on probation. Evidence was given by Dotectivo Nalder that he and Detective O'Brien recovered tho property mentioned in tho charges from accused's house. She was quite frank, and told thorn where the articles were stolen. After being admitted to bail she attempted to take her life by drinking poison. In June, 1921, she was convicted and given five years' probation on charges of shoplifting. . For accused, Mr, A. Moody said that accused was married and had one child. It was a strange case. She stole the articles, but made no attempt to use ihem_ with the exception of a pair of etockings. If she wore given another chance her husband* would take her into the country, or right out of New Zealand.

Adjutant Gordon said that accused had a home any woman could be proud of, and he could not understand her action. Her husband denied her nothing, and had a good income, alie effects of the poisoning were still cusing li er a great deal of pain. The Magistrate, Mr. Poynton, said that he certainly would not extend probation. By doing co ho would be reducing probation to comic opera. If he did not think she had punished herself he would give her three years' reformative detention, but he would tak« this feature into consideration.

Chief Detective dimming : ''She has been stealing since last September, although sho was on probation." On a charge of stealing from Katt Bros, accused was sentenced to thrc* month?' imprisonment, and for stealing goods from Milne and Choyce, Ltd., she was admitted to probation for five years. She was convicted end dischUrged on other counts.