COURTS AND OFFENCES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 6 August 1926, Page 5

COURTS AND OFFENCES.

A YOUNG WOMAN’S CRIME

(BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION.) AUCKLAND, Aug. 0. Ruby Lucas, aged 19, wife of a labourer out of work, pleaded guilty in the Police Court to twenty-three charges of obtaining goods and wearing apparel, to the total value of £358, from warehouses by falsely representing that she was either a shopkeeper or a milliner, several city warehouses being victimised. The accused sold the goods to various small shopkeepers. Mrs Lucas had been in trouble before.

The Magistrate said she had been spoiled by too much protection. She was remanded! for a week for sentence, in the meantime to remain in a maternity home.

MATERIAL FOR THE, MANUFAC-

TUKE OF COUNTERFEIT COIN

AUCKLAND, Aug. 5. In a charge against Raymond Grigg of having in his possession material for the manufacture of counterfeit coin, Kenneth Griffin, a Government nnalyist, said that he had examined the articles found in the accused's house. The coins produced were coated with genuine .silver. Two coins, which were broken, contained lead, antimony and tin.

Counsel for the accused, in opening the er.se for the defence, submitted that there was no, direct evidence that the, accused had moulds in hisi possession.

The accused gave evidence voluntarily. He stated that the moulds were found in a house that had been vacant for lour months. There was a vacant section behind th e house which wits used as a, public thoroughfare'. Certain of the moulds were used by him for chocolates. He denied that he knew anything about the smaller moulds.

“AN ABSOLUTE NUISANCE.”

AUCKLAND. Aug. 5. Frank Augustus Mens (32) pleaded guilty at the Police Court, and was sentenced to three years’ reformative detention on eight charges of obtaining from various persons, by fraud sums totalling £290. Mr Boynton, S.M., commented : “Ho is an absolute nuisance in! town, and 1 a menace to the whole community. He has taken down farmers and returned soldiers.”

CROWN’S CASE FALLS DOWN

PALMERSTON, N., Aug. 5. At the Supreme Court Herbert Michael Bailey was retried on a charge of negligently riding ,a motor cycle and thereby causing the death, of Maurice Stewart, a cyclist going in the same direction as the accused, on a dark night. After the Crown’s evidence bad been heard, the defending council submitted that there was no evidence of negligence on the part, of the accused and no case to go to a jury. His Honour, Air. Justice Bleed, said he was unable to seen any direct evidence of negligence. It certainly seemed that the accused' bad been responsible for Stewart’s death, but he could l not see that the jury was entitled to infer negligence on the •accused’s part. His Honour then enquired from the jury whether they desired the case to go on. Receiving a, reply in the negative, and a verdict of not guilty being returned, he discharged the accused. JURY FAILS TO AGREE. DUNEDIN. Aug. 6. The jurv failed to agree in the case against John William McLennan, who was charged with theft, at Miller Flat, of 493 sheep valued at £675. A new trial was ordered for Monday.