SHOPLIFTING CASE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20332, 13 August 1929, Page 11

SHOPLIFTING CASE.

MARRIED WOMAN'S THEFTS.

FOUR CITY STORES VISITED.

NO SUPPRESSION OF NAME.

Five charges of stealing goods of a total value of £l4 5s lid from four city drapery stores between July 25 and August 8 wero admitted in tho Folice Court yesterday by Adelaido Smallfield, aged 29, married (Mr. Hogben), who was arrested by Detective-Sergeant Martin last week.

Detective-Sergeant Ivelly said that during tho morning of August 8 the manager of one of tho stores saw accusod under suspicious circumstances, which caused him to watch her. He followed her downstairs and found her in possession of goods which she had not paid for. Sho admitted that sho had stolen them, and later informed tho police about the other thefts mentioned in tho charges. • Nothing was known against accused up to the present, while her relatives wero very respected. All tho stolen property had been recovered.

Mr. Hogben said tho facts were as stated by tho poljce. Tho woman saw two olhor women putting articles into their bags and sho gavo way to sudden temptation, following suit and putting goods into her bag. Sho then thought that sho had been detected and was attempting to return tho articles when sho was accosted. Sho had volunteered a statement admitting tho other thefts, about which nothing had been known previously. Accused had been married for five years and was in good circumstances. Her married life had been happy. There was no -need for her to take tho articles, as sho had from .£6 to £7 in her purso at tho timo of tho (hefts. -The only explanation was her present stato of health. Under tho circumstances counsel asked for suppression of tho namo. "Shop thefts have not been common recently," said Mr. F. I\. Hunt, S.M. "They were very frequent about a year ago, until ono woman was committed to gaol for 21 days, when tho offences stopped. However, I do not intend to send accused to gaol. Sho is fined £2O, in default ono month's imprisonment, on one charge, and convicted and discharged on the others."

Tho magistral© added that the list of goods mentioned in the charges showed that the explanation put forward by counsel did not account for accused's offences. She had visited several departments on different floors in each of tho shops, whilo the thefts had been continued over more than a week. An order for suppression of the naino would not bo made.