MILK TOKENS TAKEN

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 141, 18 December 1928, Page 5

MILK TOKENS TAKEN

THEFTS IN THORNDON

WATERSIDE 'WORKER CAUGHT

For some time past tokens and money have been takeu from milk and cream bottles in the Thorndon area, and, with a view to chocking the thefts, the City Council Milk Department has had men on duty in the locality. Early on Suuday morning a waterside worker, Stanley Alokna, was caught with a bottle of cream and some other articles in his possession, and was arrested. Alekna came bef-re Mr. J. H. Salmon, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, when he was charged with having stolon a bottle of cream and a bottle, and also a piec of meat and a pillow slip, lie pleaded guilty. Sub-Inspector Lauder said that one of the men on duty in Thorndon noticed the accused about 5 a.m. on Sunday, and, owing to his actions, kept the man under observation. A constable was called, and Alekna was accosted in Tinakori road and arrested. When questioned he admitted having taken the bottle of cream from the front of a house, and the meat and pillow slip (which he had used to wrap the meat up in) from the rear of premises in Fitzherbert terrace. Later it was found (hat the meat and pillow slip had been taken from the Marsden Preparatory School. The Sub-Inspector added that some time ago when the accused was Jiving in the Willis street locality the Milk Department had similar trouble over milk bottles and tokens. Alekna moved, to Thorndon, and since then tlm thefts had ceased in the Willis street area, and had- commenced in Thorndon. Alokna, however, denied that he had anything to do with the Willis street thefts. There were four milk bottles in the place in which he lived in Thorndon, but Alekna did not obtain his milk from the City Council, but bought it from a private vendor. The accused was a married, man with five children, and had no previous convictions. '' The City Council officers,'' said Mr. L-nder, "have asked me to impress upon your Workship that they look upon thefts of this nature in a serious light." "It is true that these thefts are petty, but, of course, sneak-thieving is very difficult to. detect," said Mr. Salmon, "and "it is impossible to meet deliberate offences -of this sort with a fine." On the first charge Alekna was sentenced to seven days' imprisonment, and on the charge of stealing the meat and the pillow slip he was sentenced to 14 days' imprisonment, the sentences to do concurrent.