REMARKABLE CASE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 78, 1 March 1938, Page 2

REMARKABLE CASE

FIFTY-SEVEN CHARGES. WOMAN. PLEADS GUILTY. Fifty-seven charges of theft from shops, involving a total of £549 18s /u, were preferred in the. Magistrates Court yesterday against Alargaret Alathieson • Scott Hart, a. niaineu woman, aged 33, of Hangitikei Street, Palmerston North.. Accused pleaded guilty to all the charges, five of which were in respect of offences each involving £2, and on which she had tho right, if she so desired, to he tried bv a jury. She elected to be dealt with summarily. Mr J. L. Stout, S.AI., was on the Bench and Detective-Sergeant Afciklcjolin conducted the case tor the police. Mr G. E- Rowe appeared for accused. At Mr Rowe’s suggestion all but tho indictable charges were taken as read. Mr Mciklejohn said that accused was a native of Scotland who was married in Wellington and lived there until two years ago. Sho then took up with a man, Edward Ryan, and in June, 1936, came to Palmerston North. I hey were living in an upstairs room in Rangitikei Street. Ryan was in constant employment, earning £4 3s a week. Accused was arrested in Palliatua on February 15, where she was trying to sell some fruit salts for 3s 6d, which she said her husband had duplicated in bu3’ing. At one store she sold goods for 4s 6d and exchanged other goods for tobacco. When arrested she had a number of articles in a bag. Not satisfied with what she could steal in Palmerston North, this this .year, she had been to Levin,.Wanganui and Feilding as well. She had admitted that she had been stealing for 15 months. It was not a case of hardship, for a search of her room had revealed £217 2s 3d. Of that sum £33 was Ryan’s, and accused had £IOO when she came to Palmerston North. When on bail she returned to the Police Station twice and identified goods. She had asked him (Mr Aleiklejolin) at least 50 times /whether she would bo sent to' gaol, and he had told her not to be disappointed if she was sent there. Air' Rowe said accused’s family were respectable people. Her mother and father were not in good health. Accused had a very chequered career. She was married 11 years ago to a. man who, according to his instructions, treated her meroilessly. Nine or ten years ago she left him and then was in a highly nervous state. Nino months later she came to Palmerston North and entered this career of crime. Already accused had had considerable punishment, and her lit© during the last three weeks had been a nightmare. Hitherto she hdd led an exemplary life. Counsel suggested that in this'case the provisions of the First Offenders’ Probation Act might be extended. The Alagistrate : I am afraid I cannot do that with 57 charges. Air ltowe: I submit that imprisonment does not always produce the best results. SENTENCE lAIPOSED. “In this case I have had the advantage of perusing the probation officer’s report,” said the Alagistrate yesterday in passing sentence.. “He does not recommend probation, and I do not think 1 could give it in any case. This seems to be a case of systematic thieving carried on all round the district, and carried' oil oyer a large number of months. It was systematic.” To accused His Worship said : “You must have heen making quite a good, thing out of it. The only tiling to do with you is to give you reformative detention. Sentence will be that j-ou be detained for reformative detention for a period not exceeding 12 months. That is on the indictable charges. On the others you will be convicted and discharged.” , MALE ACCUSED NOT GUILTY. Edward Ryan, aged 37. a mill worker, was charged with four charges of converting to his own use. thereby committing theft, certain articles (men’s clothing and shoes), the total value involved being £6 6s 3d. Accused pleaded not guilty to all four charges. Air Rowe appeared on his behalf. The accused Hart gave evidence as to having pleaded guilty to 57 charges of theft.

Shown a pair of shoes, witness said she took all the blame. She had tokl the male accused that she had bought them. Accused gave witness all , his wages. He did not know anything about the thefts. “Witness here broke down and wept repeating that the other accused “did not know anything about it.” Cross-examined, witness said she had had no authority from accused to steal things. In temporary employment she had earned £33 or £34 since coming to Palmerston North. Evidence was given by several witnesses as to the value of certain articles of men’s clothing. Detective-Sergeant Meiklejohn read a statement signed bv the male accused, in which he denied that lie knew the goods w’ere taken, saying he thought they had been bought. Accused denied, in evidence. that he had known anv of the goods were stolen. He had seen only a few of the articles and had not troubled to look in a certain cupboard or in suitcases. He had thought eight pairs of ladies’ shoes had been bought. “I think he would have stopped her had he known that it was as wholesale as this,” said the Magistrate. “All that he is charged with could have been bought, for there is only a total of £6. T doubt if there is enough evidence on these charges.” Four other charges of receiving stolen goods, alternative to those heard were then withdrawn and aocused was discharged.