DOMINION ITEMS

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 June 1928, Page 5

DOMINION ITEMS

(Per Press Association.) SOCIAL PARASITE. WELLINGTON, June 26. How a man rewarded a woman’s generosity bv stealing from her was revealed in the Magistrate’s Court today, when Harold Hardgrave, alias King, window-cleaner, 30, appeared for sentence on charges of theft and failure to comply with the terms of release on probation. The police said that accused told the complainant a hard-luck story about a starving wife and family, and while complainant was getting some food for him, !he stole a suit of clothes, which he sold. He was described by the Probation Officer as a social parasite. , He was sentenced to twelve months imprisonment. SEAMAN’S THEFTS WELLINGTON, June 26. A detective walking along Taranaki Street last night, saw a man take a radiator cap from an unattended motor. He accosted him and found in his possession three motor meters and five radiator caps. The man, William! Morrison, seaman on Canadian Challenger, to-day pleaded guilty. In reply to the Magistrate, the Chief Detective said that Morrison would get a market for the articles. They were very, hard to identify, and the police had lots of complaints. A fine of £5 was imposed, in default one month’s imprisonment. Accused is to be placed aboard the ship if she sailed before the fine is paid. TAXI-FARE CHARGE WELLINGTON, June 26. An interesting legal point arose in the Magistrate’s Court to-day, in a case in which Leslie Gordon Dunn, 2?>, was charged with drunkenness, and with obtaining credit by fraud by incurring a debt for taxi hire foi £l/3/-. Accused hired a taxi and at. the end of the journey found that lie had only one shilling in his pocket. He said he thought he had money and he could not understand where it had gone. The Magistrate said he was not satisfied that fraud had been intended. The case differed somewhat from that of a man going into a restaurant and obtaining a meal under false pretences. Accused was convicted for drunkenness and the second charge was dismissed.