NINE CHARGES OF THEFT

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 18 June 1935, Page 3

NINE CHARGES OF THEFT

YOUTH'S CAREER OE CRIME. TWO YEARS’” DETENTION. > „ - (.By T^legr.ipli—Press Association.) HAMILTON, June 17. Nine charges of theft, including one concerning a crime committed at the Hamilton East post office on Wednesday last, were preferred against Cyril Ernest Bates, aged 10 years, alias‘Ernest Brown, before Mr S. L. Paterson, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court at Hamilton this afternoon. Bates pleaded guilty to all charges.- • - Bates was charged on three counts with stealing sums aggregating £lO 7s and a bicycle at Christchurch, stealing £lO 14s 9d at Wellington and stealing £6 4s 11 Ad at Rotorua. The Hamilton charges, all of which concerned crimes .alleged to have been committed on June 12, were the theft of a cashbox containing 15s, the theft of £5 Ss 7d from the Hamilton East post office and the theft of sweets valued at 3s 16d. All the offences were committed since April 29. Detective-Sergeant J- • Thompson said the total amount of money stolen by Bates was £33, of which £ls had been recovered, together with the bicycle, the cashbox and the tin of sweets. On the day before committing the theft form the Hamilton East post office Bates entered the office and sent a bogus telegram with the object _ of taking stock of the surroundings'. - “I have seen a good deal of him since he has been with the police here, and he does not appear to be quite normal,” Detective-Sergeant Thompson informed the magistrate. Oin the charge of theft from the post office Bates was sentenced to two years’ reformative detention. On the other counts he was convicted and discharged.