EX-SOLICITOR FINED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19718, 18 August 1927, Page 12

EX-SOLICITOR FINED.

THEFT OF LIBRARY BOOKS. MAGISTRATE ENTERS CONVICTION A fine of £6 was imposed on a formerAuckland solicitor, James Lock wood Brady, aged 29 (Mr. Sullivan), in the Police Court yesterday, on a charge of stealine four books valued at £3, the property of the Auckland City Council. The magistrate, Mr Cutten, dismissed a charge of vagrancy against accused and charges of stealing an overcoat and a portmanteau and contents were withdrawn.

In giving his reserved decision, Mr. Cutten said accused had reasonably answered the charge of vagrancy and his explanations regarding the overcoat and portmanteau had satisfied the prosecution, so that leave would be given for the withdrawal of the charges. The remaining charge was in a different position. Defendant was found in possession of books stolen from the public library, and offered the police the explanation that he bad got them on board a steamer on which he had been working. At the hearing he said this was wrong, and he had purchased them for 2s in a bundle at an auction. The books were valuable ones, looked comparatively new, and had the public library stamp conspicuously on them in several places, although inside the cover. It seemed very unlikely that the books would be sold by an auctioneer for 2s.

If an explanation given by a person found in possession of stolen property might reasonably be true, the prisoner was entitled to be acquitted, but there did not appear to be a reasonable probability of defendant's second explana tion being true. Defendant would therefore be convicted On the question of taking or keeping books, however, a wrong view was rather commonly taken, and some persons without a proper sense of responsibility took book;? without fully appreciating that it was theft. It was, however, a very serious matter for public libraries. A conviction would therefore be entered, and a fine of C 6 imposed.