TELEPHONE THEFTS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 19 August 1933, Page 6

TELEPHONE THEFTS

TWO MEN SENTENCED (By Telegraph—Press Association) ~ .■ WELLINGTON, 18th August. “This class of offence, is a j very serious .ipatter both from the point of view 'of the public and the Post and Telegraph Repartment,” said Detective McLennan, at the Magistrate’s Court to-day, when Lindsay Edist Edward Garner, aged 21, and lan Archibald Hector McDonald, aged 28, appeared before Mr J. S. Barton, S.AI., for sentence on charges of wilfully damaging public telephones, theft of money from them, and other offences. The detective said that the accused were looked upon as very dangerous criminals. Both had lists of previous convictions. Asked if he had anything to say before sentence was imposed, the accused Garner protested that he was innocent of the charges on which lie had been found guilty. I agree witli Detective McLennan that a lenient view cannot be taken m these cases, although the actual amount of money taken was small,” said the Magistrate. He added that in his own opinion the maximum penalty associated with these offences was quite out of proportion to the moral view that the Court took of the offences. Garner was given cumulative sentences totalling eight months’ hard labour. McDonald, who is already in prison on other charges with sixteen months to complete his sentences, will have to serve an additional sentence of eight months’ reformative detention at the expiration of that term.