A DRUG ADDICT.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 24 December 1924, Page 5

A DRUG ADDICT.

FAVOURITE. HOSPITAL MATRON

CHARGED WITH FALSE ; PRETENCES.

(BY TELEGRAPH—PRESS! ASSOCIATION. ; . AUCKLAND, Dee. 23/ “The question is—What is to be.done with the woman P She is a morphine manaic and a notorious criminal, and she should . be sent ■ back to Australia,, where she came from.’’ So stated Mr J. W • Poynton, S.M., at the; conclusion of the hearing of a ease at the Police Court this morning concerning a nurse who ivas . convicted on a charge of false pretences. . The accused was Margaret Beatrice Brodie, and she was charged with' obtaining goods to the -value of £66 13s 9d, and . money totalling £8 by false pretences, attempting to obtain goods valued at £l6 9s 8d from Smith and Caughey by false pretences, and with failing-to .account to Nora Bennett for the ; sum of £3 12s.

Tlie, accused was formerly 'matron ’of the .Warkworth Hospital, and in October obtained a position under the Auckland Hospital Board as matron in charge at Warkworth.; She jvas arrested in . Hawke’s Bay under another name. She told- a detective that she was a drag addict / and had been; tak-i ing morphia daily for years. Tim accused admitted a series of' previous convictions at Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney, principally oh charges of false pretences. The .magistrate described the acciised/as a . dangerous woman.' who should be returned to .Australia or .imprisoned for as long as possible. She wag remanded for sentence.