THEFT OF OVERCOAT.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 2 December 1925, Page 7

THEFT OF OVERCOAT.

STOLEN FROM HOTEL. SIX MONTHS’ IMPRISONMENT . * * IMPOSED. On charges of drunkenness and the theft of an overcoat valued at £B, the property <>t* Hr C. H. Bridge i\ ot Stintlord, William Barnett, abas V i 111 am Barrett, appeared before Mr J. S. Barton, S.M., at the Hawera Magistrate s Court this morning. On the chaige of drunkenness a fine of 7s 6d, m default 24 hours’ imprisonment with hard labour wu s inflicted. In outlining the case on the charge of theft, Sergeant J. Henry said that the accused arrived at Stratford on November 30. and during the clay lie spent most of his time in the bar of a hotel. Later he was seen leaving the Empire Hotel with something under Ins coat, and Mr Bridger, who lived at the hotel, discovered that his overcoat was missing. Barnett came to Hawera on the fo'lowing day and sold the coat to a second-hand dealer for 30s, signing the dealer’s book “H. Johnson.” Constable Tocher, in evidence, stated that lie had arrested the accused for being drunk, and on questioning him concerning the theft of the coat, he had made a statement admitting the offence.

Sergeant Henry produced a 'ist of convictions against the accused, which included theft, robbery, assault, mischief and receiving stolen property, dating back to 1905. 'The accused pleaded for another chance, and said that liquor was the cause of all his trouble.

The magistrate said he considered Barnett should he sent- to the Supreme Court in order to give the judge .an opportunity to declare him an habitual criminal.

A. plea of guilty was entered and the accused elected to be dealt with summarily. The magistrate said it was impossible to take a lenient view of the ease, as it was the .accused’s seventh conviction for dishonesty. Secondly the offence was an hotel theft, which was most annoying and aggravating, because it threw suspicion on .a number of innocent people. The accused was sentenced to six months’'hard labour at the New Plymouth prison. The second-hand dealer \vais ordered to restore the coat to its original owner.