GAOL FOR WOMAN SHOPLIFTER

Evening Star, Issue 19020, 15 August 1925, Page 3

GAOL FOR WOMAN SHOPLIFTER

REPEATED OFFENCES

SUICIDE ATTEMPTED

'[Per United Press Association.]

AUCKLAND, 'August 14. Six charges of stealing from city firms clothing and fancy goods or a total value of £79 18s 6d were admitted by Mabel Olivia Cross, aged 32. In the Police Court to-day accused pleaded guilty to further charges or attempting to commit suicide on >lu*y 18 and of committing a breach of the conditions of her release on probation. Evidence was given by Detective A alder that he and Detective O’Brien recovered the property mentioned in the charges from accused’s house, oho was quite frank, and told them where the articles were stolen. After being admitted to bail she attempted to taae her life by drinking poison. In Juno, 1921, she was convicted and given five years’ probation on charges of shoplifting. . Mr Moody, for the accused, said she was married and had one child- It was a strange case. She stole the articles, but made no attempt to_ use them, with the exception of a pair of stockings. If she were given another chance her husband would take her into the country or right out of Now Zealand.

Adjutant Gordon said the accused had a home any woman could be proud of, and she could not understand her action. Her husband denied her nothing and had a good income. The effects of poisoning were still causing her a groat deal of pain. The magistrate (Mr J. W. Poynton) said lie certainly would not extend probation. By doing so he would be reducing probation to comic opera. -If be did not think she bad punished herself ho would give her Giree years’ reformative detention, but he would take this feature into consideration. Chief-detective Gumming; She has boon stealing since last September, although she was on probation. On a charge of stealing from Hart Bros, accused was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, a.nd for stealing goods from Milne and Choyce, Ltd., she was admitted to probation for five years. She was convicted and discharged on the other counts.