CHARGES OF THEFT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20492, 18 February 1930, Page 14

CHARGES OF THEFT.

SOCIAL CLUB ROBBED.;

POSTAL EMPLOYEE'S LAPSE,

MAGISTRATE IMPOSES FINE, Caught as a result of a trap set to apprehend the person who had been stealing funds from a locker where money belonging to the social club at the Auckland Post Oflico was kept, Frederick George Voylo, aged 33, a telegraph operator, appeared in tho Police Court yesterday. He admitted stealing 14s on February 8 and stealing, between August last year and February 8, sums totalling £4 3s 9d, tho property of tho Post and Telegraph Social Club.

Senior-Sergeant O'Grady said accused was an operator at the post office. The money had been received by a woman for tea which was supplied to members of the club and was placed in a locker, which the woman locked, keeping' the koy in another locker, which she also secured. In spite of these precautions, money had been missing, and tho woman had been forced to make good the shortages A trap was set and accused was found late at night with 14s of -the money. He possessed a key to the woman's locker, and from this obtained the other key. It was hard to understand how a man like accused, who was in receipt of about £350 a year, would commit such an offonce. Mr. Allan Moody said accused had boen in the service of the department for 19 years, and for tho past six years had been on night duty. Tho strain had been great, and accused, who had bten gassed at the war, was unable to sleep. " His whole career is gone, and he will lose his position in the department when a conviction is entered," said counsel. "It seems that his moral fibre has been so weaketed that he could not resist the temptation. It .is his first offence, and, as tho senior sergeant has said, it is unaccountable." " .Wo have had many cases of this kind —stealing from friends .or from clubs," said the magistrate, Mr. F. K. Hunt. " They are perfectly unaccountable." Accused was fined £lO on the second charge, and convicted and discharged on the first. Default was fixed at one month's imprisonment, and accused was ordered to make restitution.

THEFT FROM MOTOR-OAR. Appearing on remand from last Wednesday, Eric McKenzie, aged 28, warehouseman, admitted the theft of a quantity of goods, valued at £1 12s lOd, tho property of Hubert .Saxon Shaw, and tho theft of two bell pushes, valued at 3s, from the Allum' Electrical Company, Limited.

Senior-Sergeant O'Grady said accused had taken articles from a motor-car parked in the street, while the bell pushes had been stolen from the counter of the showroom. Accused was under the influence of liquor at the time of the offences. He had a list of previous convictions for theft.

" I am not going to pass over stealing from motor-cars," said the magistrate, Mr. F. K. Hunt, who imposed sentence of three months' imprisonment.

A TRAVELLER'S OFFENCE. Pleas of guilty were entered by Frank Edward Yates, aged 21, commercial traveller, to two chafges of- failing to account for sums of 10s and 9s to Edward Henry Pointon, thereby committihg theft. It was, stated that accused had obtained four coats from complainant, to sell on commission, and had not accounted for the money, although the coats had been sold. He was at present serving sentence of one month's imprisonment. After accused had stated that he had been given until January 22 to make payment, but had been arrested that day before he could do so, the magistrate 'sentenced him to 14 days in prison, the sentence to commence at tho expiration of his present sentence. THEFTS FROM A " BACH." Stated by the police, to have committed thefts from a " bach " to which they had been invited, Jack Edmund Murley, aged 24, seaman, and Norman Merriman, aged 28, labourer, admitted stealing a portable gramophone, a suit, an overcoat and a pair; of shoes, valued at £26, from Henry Courtney. Chief-Detective Hammond said the accused had met two other young men and had been invited to their " bach " in Parnell after the four had taken ft few drinks. The. stolen property 'had been taken from tho place, and was found in accused's room. Neither accused was working at .present. Nothing was known against either of them. \ Both men were remanded for sentence for a week to enable tho probation officer to make a report. MAN'S LAST CHANCE. The theft of an overcoat from a friend who had asked him to a party was admitted by John Patrick Dudley, aged 23, electrician. Mr. Hammond said accused had been to a party in Karangahape Road with complainant, and" after the two men had been drinking together, accused took the coat, which he had pledged. Nothing was known about him. " It is his last chance," said the magistrate, in fining Dudley £5, in default one month's imprisonment, and ordering tho issue of a prohibition order.