RICH GIRL'S THEFTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18629, 9 February 1924, Page 2 (Supplement)

RICH GIRL'S THEFTS.

FRIEND'S RING AND DHi-JS. ./'SUDDEN 'I TEMPTATION. ; ; NO LACK OF MONEY.' ' A strange, story of a rich girl's thefts while being entertained at [the home of a. friend was told at Wealdstone Sessions. In the dock was Catherine Barnes, aged 24, a smartly-dressed girl of prepossessing appearance, living at Edith Road, West Kensington. She admitted stealing a diamond ring worth £120 and a lady's woollen dress value £2 10s, the property of Mr. H. B. Capes, of Wembley. The girl's father is manager of a large mine near Johannesburg, and she went to England two years ago to study at the Royal Academy of Music. It was stated that at the Academy she became friendly with a fellow-student, a daughter of Mr. Capes, and stayed at Mr Capes' bouse. Later the dress and rin!» were missed. To a detective Miss Barnes said, "I cannot think what made me do it." Mr. J. A. Morley, for the accused, said she did not lack money, for she had an allowance of £25 a month from her father, and received additional sums from him. She stayed with Miss Capes at Wembley, and during two of those visits, from some sudden temptation, she took the ring and the dress.

Seeing that she had purchased clothes at a cost of £50, with money sent to her by her father, to wear on the voyage back to South Africa, one was at a lobs ;to understand why she took a dress worth a paltry £2 10s. When her friend at Wembley was married the accused gave her a £5 10s watch, which was more than twice the value of the dress. It was one of those extraordinary cases' which Ino one could understand.

The girl, added the solicitor, had her passport and' ticket to South Africa, \ for which she had paid £110, and she was on, the point of leaving to join her father, who was in bad health. *

In • the circumstances the Bench bound her over for six months in the sum of £50. ■ ■ . •.'