SHOPLIFTING CASE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18888, 22 December 1924, Page 13

SHOPLIFTING CASE.

CHRISTMAS GIFTS STOLEN.

WOMAN SENT TO PRISON.

COMMENTS BY MAGISTRATE.

[BV TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] CHRISTCHURCH. Sunday. An elderly woman, 56 years of age, was sentenced to a month's imprisonment by Mr. H. Y. Widdowson, S.M., yesterday for shoplifting. Her name was Annie Wilkinson, and she was charged with having the previous day stolen a powder puff and card case valued at 6s 9d, the property of the New Zealand Farmers' -Co-operative Association, a powder puff and needle case, a bottle of perfume, two handkerchiefs and a handbag, of a total value of £3 7s sd, the property of the D.1.C., and a vase, Doulton dish and glass serviette ring, valued at £1 Is 3d, the property of A. J. White. Ltd. The accused, who was represented by Mr. Cuthbert, pleaded guilty to all three charges, and elected to be dealt with summarily. Chief-Detective Gibson said the woman admitted the thefts, and said it was the first time she had taken anything. The place where she-had been working as a domestic servant had been visited that morning and in her room were found several pairs of new gloves, bags and other articles, none of which had been used.

Mr. Cuthbort said the accused was a widow and had been out from England for ten years. Until the present she had an unblemished record and her life had been an honourable one. The thefts had been committed in the course of one afternoon. Accused could not suggest the excuse of poverty, as she was earning 30s per week, in addition to her board as housekeeper. She did not put that forward as an excuse. She had been attracted by the articles, and had intended to use them as Christmas presents. She had yielded to sudden temptation. Counsel said ho would like to point out that this case was different from others which had recently been before the Court, where three women, who had been working together, had pleaded not guilty and had tried to toll a story. The magistrate said everything that could be said for the accused had been said. The suggestion that in the first shop she had yielded to sudden temptation, and not having been detected had gone on ;to other places was hard for anyone to believe. She had been in the habit probably of going to shops. It was a curious thing if she had yielded to sudden temptation, especially in view of the cases recently before the Court, which should have acted as a serious warning to people of this class. The value of the goods did not enter into the question so much as the nature of the crime. The accused was sentenced to one month's imprisonment on each of the three charges, the terms to run concurrently.