"REGULAR RAMP"

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 136, 11 June 1942, Page 7

"REGULAR RAMP"

TWO MEN GAOLED

THEFT OF MILK AND CREAM

Commenting that the theft of milk from the Wellington City Corporation seemed to be a regular, ramp, Mr. J. L. Stout, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court today, sentenced Forbes Ralph Winter, a soldier, aged 28, to three months' imprisonment for stealing six gallons of cream and eighty gallons of milk from the corporation,, by which he was employed, between February. 7 and May 1. The value was £12 3s 4d. William Roland Orr, Corporation motor-driver, aged 38, was similarly sentenced for stealing milk and cream valued at £28 5s between February 14 and May 30, and was convicted and discharged on two charges of stealing petrol from the Corporation.

.Detective-Sergeant W. McLennan said Orr had sold the milk and cream to a farmer. The petrol he had used for his own purposes.

Mr. W. E. Leicester, for the accused, said that Orr had been employed by the Corporation for six years and had been regarded highly. He was a married man with one child, and about three" months ago became entangled with a. married woman, separated from her husband, who was serving overseas. She had two children, and when her husband" became a prisoner of war her maintenance stopped. She tried to get what money she'could from the accused, on the threat of exposing ham-to his family. The fact that she was not getting her maintenance made the accused succumb to the temptation of stealing the milk and cream, but over some months he had made only £16. The woman's children were living near Otaki, and when she said one was ill he stole two gallons of petrol from his lorry for his car, but did not, however, use it. Later the woman came to him on his round and showed him a telegram saying that one child had died. He took a further three and a half gallons, but found out subsequently that the telegram was untrue and that neither child was ill. He had been a good employee of the Corporation, but he had been very weak under stress.

The Magistrate said he could not treat the accused differently from two other men who had been before the Court and had been sentenced to three months' imprisonment.

Speaking for Wintex\ Mr. G. I. Joseph said the case was entirely different from that of Orr. Since he had been working Winter had always been with the Corporation. He had recently gone into camp and had made a fine soldier. He had not been before the Court previously and had taken the milk and cream in the last month of his employment. He had received £4 19s 6d net a week, and after expenses had £2 9s a week on,which to keep himself arid his wife and young child.. A much stronger man might have yielded to temptation in such circumstances. Winter had gone to another man to ask for money, and had been told there was an easy way to make money. He had benefited by only £3, and had not been the actual thief.;

\ The Magistrate again said he could not differentiate. The stealing of milk from the Corporation seemed to be a regular ramp. l