THEFTS FROM SHOPS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19567, 21 February 1927, Page 14

THEFTS FROM SHOPS.

SMALL BOY'S OPERATIONS. MONEY AND GOODS STOLEN. EXPLOITS IN EARLY MORNING. A remarkable story of a 10-year-old boy's early morning visits to a number of business premises in Newmarket during tho school holidays was told in tho Children's Court on Saturday, when 12 charges of breaking and entering and theft were preferred against the lad. With tho,consent of the police the charges were reduced to theft in order that the Court could deal with the matter. The goods involved in the charges were valued at -£4 4s, while it was also alleged that money totalling- £1 6s 2d had been stolen. Among the goods taken were a watch valued at £2, a pair of men's boots valued at £1 ss, two tins of cocoa, several bottles of soft drinks, a leather cash bag, a door key, two balls of twine, two dozen penny stamps, a pocket knife and a small quantity of fruit. "The boy proved to be quite expert at getting into shops and out again without being detected," said Sergeant Calwell. "Ho operated in the very early morning and it has given the police a lot of trouble to trace the thefts to him." All the cases were of much the same kind, added the sergeant. The boy showed evidence of lack of homo control. The father of tho boy said his son was under control, but witness did not know he was getting into mischief. The family, which comprised eight children, lived over a shop, and as the yard was not very large ho allowed tho boy to go on the street. . Replying to Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., who presided, the police stated that some of the money had been found hidden in a bag in an outhouse. The majority of the goods had also been recovered. In reply_to Mr. Cutten, the father said he earned £5 ,a week and paid £1 10s a week rent. " I am sorry to part you from your boy, but I am afraid we must commit his to a home," said Mr. Cutten, in committing the boy to the care of the superintendent of the Child Welfare Branch. The goods and money were ordered to be returned to the owners, but the question of. restitution was left in abeyance in view of the large family the father had to maintain.