MANIA FOR THEFT

Hawera Star, Volume L, 26 April 1930, Page 16

MANIA FOR THEFT

Woman Who Stole Since Childhood

A REMARKABLE story of a barristor's wife "who was said to have had a mania for stealing since the time of her childhood was told at the London Sessions recently. The woman concerned pleaded guilty to stealing two gowns valued at £l3 13s and two gowns valued at £l9 two days later from a London store.

Detective Deighton said that at Manchester in July, 1914, accused was bound over for stealing china from a shop. In November, 1926, at the Old Bailey, she was sentenced to six months in the second division on three charges of larceny. Two other cases were then taken into consideration. Mr. Eustice Fulton, defending, said his client had a baby two months old. From childhood she had been in the habit of making ismall peculations. At the age of seven she was in the habit of stealing other children’s toys and was thrashed by her father. There was a normal period of about five years, and then, when she was 13 and at a convent, she took other girls’ property and put it in a box. This was well known to the nuns, who went to the box and gave the things hack to the. other girls. When she was 17 and at another school the same thing happened, but she put the things back the same day. There was another normal period until 191.4, when she stole pieces of china

one by one and finally was detected taking a whole set. The stolen articles were displayed on the drawingroom mantelpiece. She was bound over for this and her parents placed her under the care of a doctor at Liverpool. She rapidly recovered under treatment. In 1.916 she was married, but it was an exceedingly unhappy marriage, and she divorced her husband in 1925. She afterwards married again. From 1914 to 1926 there was no suggestion that her conduct was not perfectly proper and normal. At the end of 1925 she had two very serious operations, and in 1926 she reverted to the course which had occurred at definite periods throughout her life. After serving her sentence of six months’ imprisonment she returned to her husband, and her conduct was again normal. At the end of last year a child was bom and soon after this she took the dresses. Dr. Walter R.upert Re.vnell, a Harley Street mental specialist, said he treated accused from May, 1927, to May, 1928. Her condition was such that she suffered periodically from lapses. Imprisonment would only do harm.

Sir Robert Wallace, the chairman, said the woman would be sent to Holloway Gaol until the next .session for a medical report. Accused fainted on hearing the decision.