DESPOILING A GRAVE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIX, Issue 14682, 13 May 1908, Page 5

DESPOILING A GRAVE.

A young married woman, of respectable appearance, appeared before Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court yesterday, in answer to a charge of having stolen four pieces of ribbon from the wreaths on a grave. The woman, whose name was Charlotte Poletti, admitted the offence, and said that she did not know why she did it. Station-Sergeant Johnston explained to the Magistrate that when a lady had visited the Lin wood Cemetery to tend her late husband's grave she saw the accused taking the ribbons. She communicated with the police, who arrested the woman. She was the wife of a hawker, and had two children. The family were in rather poor circumstances. Mr Bishop characterised the offence as the most contemptible theft that any one could think of. He would not allow such a thing to go unpunished. The accused richly deserved to go to gaol, and if it was not for her children she would go. It was a most abominable theft, and the accused would be fined £5, in default one month's imfiisonment. The accused was al'owed a week in which to find the money.