THEFT OF WATCH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22475, 20 July 1936, Page 12

THEFT OF WATCH

YOUNG MAN'S OFFENCE THREE WEEKS' IMPRISONMENT "It was rather a mean theft," said Sub-Inspector Fox, 111 the Police Court on Saturday, when Arthur Windsor, alias Arthur Claude Windsor,' alias Wilson, unemployed gardener, aged 27, pleaded guilty to stealing a watch valued at £l, the property of John Richard Readdy, at Dovonprt on July 16. Mr. Fox said that accused, a single man, lived with his mother in Ponsonby, and last Thursday crossed to Dovonport in search of work. He called on Mrs. Readdy, who offered him 5s to clean windows. Ho had to go to the collar for a ladder, and when replacing it Inter he stole a watc'h that was hanging on a nail above a work bench. Ho was then given a cup of tea and paid for his work. When the theft was reported, a constable interviewed accused, who admitted taking the watch and produced it from his pocket. At Wanganui in 1930, he was sentenced to three months' imprisonment for being idle and disorderly, and to a further term of two months for attempting to obtain credit by fraud. Accused's defence was that he moant to return the watch, but could not find the street. "If you expect me to believe that, perhaps yon can ovu'nin why you took the watch in the first place," said the Magistrate, Mr. W. R. McKean. He declined accused's promise to keep out of trouble if given a chance ancl sentenced him to 21 days' imprisonment.