THEFT OF MONEY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXV, Issue 31, 5 January 1945, Page 2

THEFT OF MONEY

PENSIONER'S OFFENCE

Charges, involving the theft of £258 in money, the property of Mtt Esther Foarnley on December 26, tho theft on December 22 of a costume valued at £6 17s 6d, the property of Frank Benstcd, and the theft of an electric element, flex, and fittinge valued at £2 12s 6d, on December 22, tho property of Mrs Elizabeth M. Kidd, were preferred again6t Charles Frederick Amnion, a pensioner, of Woodvillo, in tho Magistrate's Court today. Messrs M. A. Eliott and G. M. Ranson, J.P.'s, were on the Bench. Mrs Fcarnley, in evidence, stated thai some of the money was in a small handbag and other rolls of money beside the handbag in a drawer. Her daughter told her a man had been seen leaving her room. She went to her room and found the money gone. Her son gave chase and caught accused. Two rolls of "money were taken from the man's shirt and tho handbag was discovered in accused's overcoat pocket. All the njency had been recovered. Charles A Petcis, of Auckland, a son of the previous witness, corroborated hoi evidence. He discovered- tho accused on property two doors from his mother's hotel. He had to use force to bring accused back to the hotol. In reply lc a question from accused witness slated that Amnion did not voluntarily hand over tho money. Accused from the dock stated that he was in receipt of an invalidity pension from the last war. He appealed for leniency.

Accused then pleaded guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court at. Wellington for sentence. Senior-Detective Meiklcjohn slated that, accused had found the electric element on a footpath in King Street and the costume in a soft-drink bar. Ho had taken them back to Woodville with him. Witness also dealt with accused's previous convictions. On those two latter charges he was sentenced to three months' imprisonment. •