BEDROOM THEFTS

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 57, 17 September 1928, Page 11

BEDROOM THEFTS

STEWAED SENT TO GAOL Substantial punishment was asked for by Detective-Sergeant Holmeß' in the Magistrate's Court to-day in the ease of Kaymond Patrick Detton, alias George M'Cullough, a ship's steward, aged 24. Letton was charged with having stolen a fur coat valued at £48, the property of Mollie Duncan, and with having committed mischief by wilfulrv breaking a pane of glass in a sky-light at the Alhambra Hotel. Mr. Holmes said that Miss Duncan hung her coat up in her bedroom at the hotel about 1 o'clock on Bth September. A little later she found that her coat was missing, and reported the matter to the licensee, who mado a search of tho various bedrooms and ultimately discovered the accused standing outside one of the rooms on a window-sill. Let: ton, who had Miss Duncan's coat in his hands, jumped from the sill and went through a pane of glass in a skylight. He was arrested by Plain-clothes Constable Murray on board the overseas liner Corinthic. Letton had two previous convictions for theft, and ho had also been charged with tho unlawful conversion ■of motor-cars. "The system of stealing from bedrooms," added tho Detective-Ser-geant, "is a very irritating one, especially to travellers." When asked if he had any statement to make, the accused,said he did not take the coat; he was merely trying to recover it for the owner when he was found by tho hotel licensee. Letton said ho was willing to pay for the broken pane of glass, and asked that he be given a chance to join the next ship leaving the Dominion. On the first charge tho Magistrate (Mr. J. H. Salmon, S.M.), sentenced Letton to six months' imprisonment), and on the other charge he was convicted and ordered to pay_ 10s, in default seven days' imprisonment.