PERSISTENT THIEF

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 61, 15 March 1929, Page 11

PERSISTENT THIEF

BAD CRIMINAL HISTORY

Described by Chief Detective Ward as a man with a bad criminal history, James Alexander Scorringe, a labourer, aged 21, admitted to Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court to-day, the theft at Stratford of £3 in money, and a pocket wallet of a total value of £3 10s,' the property of William M'Gillivray. Gould, and unlawfully converting to his own use a motorcycle valued at £90, the property of Walter John Bichards.

Chief Detective Ward said that on 28th "February Scorringe took the mo-tor-cycle from a parking place in the city. He drove it all round the Taranaki district covering in all about 700 miles. He was away about a week and' then came back and abandoned the cycle at Ngahauranga, While he was in Taranaki the accused stayed a night in Stratford,/occupying a room with another man, and overnight he stole his room-mate's wallet,'.which contained £3. The accused had stated that he went to Taranaki to see a young lady. "He has a bad criminal history," said the Chief Detective. "In 1923 he was sentenced to four years' reformative detention for breaking and entering and theft." On the first charge,' accused was sentenced to six months', imprisonment to be followed by a period of reformative detention not exceeding two years, and on the second charge he was sentenced to three months' imprisonment.

Mr. Hunt: "It is useless ever having that man out, I think." Chief-Detective Ward: "Yes, sir, ho is a persistent thief."