ALLEGED THEFT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LI, Issue 7, 8 December 1930, Page 2

ALLEGED THEFT.

Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, Dec. 6. Although Leo Robert Clarke, a painter, aged 22, pleaded poverty when lie was arrested in a shop last evening for stealing three small articles valued at 2s 6d, it was found when he was searched that he had £64 9s lOd in his possession. Clarke was described as “one of the professional unemployed” when he appeared in the Police Court to-day. Ho was remanded until Monday for -further inquiries to be made. I Shortly before nine o’clock last evening accused went to a ■ shop 111 High Street, said Chief Detective Carroll.. He was seen to take something from one of the stands, blit he made a rush to get . out.- There was a scuffle, and he was stopped and held until the police arrived. He was found to have taken three small articles (a tube of tooth paste, a shaving stick and some dental cream). He threw them away when he was observed. At first he gave a false name and address, but later the correct ones were ascertained. “There is no excuse for a man like this,” continued tlio chief detective. “When arrested ho pleaded poverty, but when searched bo was found to have £64 9s lOd in his possession. Accused is out of work at present, but one might say that lie is one of the professional unemployed. We don t know a great deal about him yet, and I would suggest that it would be better to remand him for a while in order to make inquiries.” “There certainly seems to be no excuse for him,” commented Mr H. P. Lawry, S.M. Mr McLachlan said that accused was 22, and was employed as a car, painter until six months ago, but since then he had had only eight or nine days’ work. “Until the chief detective spoke I was going to ask your Worship to strike this case out as trivial,” concluded Mr McLachlan. “I would suggest that he might be convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon. “There is too much shoplifting going on,” said the Magistrate. “1 will remand Him until Monday morning for inquiries to be made. Accused will deposit £25 as bail m bis own surety.” / , . “Would your Worship order ins name to be suppressed in the meantime ?” asked Mr McLachlan. }) “No, nothing would justify that, remarked the magistrate.