THIEVING TO LIVE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23273, 16 February 1939, Page 18

THIEVING TO LIVE

HABIT lAL CRIMINAL UNABLE TO KEEP A JOB STATEMENT MADE IN COURT |*BY TELEGRJ.FH —rnESS association] NEW PLYMOUTH, Wednesday "The placement officer at Auckland got me a job, but 1 was drummed out of it because I had been declared an habitual criminal and so I had to steal in order to got food and clothes." This was the protest of Archibald Andrew Char es Scott in the Police Court this morning when committed for sentence on a charge of breaking and entering and theft at Tokirima on or about January 11. He was sentenced to a month's imprisonment on another charge, on which he elected t;> bo dealt with summarily, and was convicted without penalty oi several other charges of theft, principally of food and clothing. According to Detective-Sergeant E. C. Jarrold. the prisoner was discharged on December 19 from the Auckland gaol, where l;e had served a long sentence after b.nng declared an habitual criminal. Ho worked his way to Taranaki until he reached Whangamomona, where he commenced a series of offences by taking a bicycle. Seiries of Offences Mudguards gave trouble, 60 he discarded them and rode the bicycle through the district and discarded it at Sentry Hill, where it was later recovered. In the meantime he had committed soveral other offences in other districts, stealing food, clothing and sundrv small articles.

"He indulges in what might be termed sneak thieving by night," said Mr. Jarrold. "He ha§ a long list of some 46 previous convictions in his criminal history."

Mr. JarroM said there had been no attempt to dispose of anj f property, and no evidence of his frightening women iu any of the districts. Prisoner's Remarks "It has been said I go about thieving for the fun of the thing," said the prisoner. "I am an honest man, but when 1 was declared an habitual criminal for some potty offences that stopped me getting a job, If a man gets a job lie soon loses it, as when the women find out they won't have a man about the place who has been declared an habitual criminal. "The Auckland Placement Officer got me a job, but I was drummed out as soon as it was known I was an habitual criminal. Tlie Placement Officer said he could not help it, as he was bound to tell any employer of such a man. I have had to thieve to live and to get clothes. Until they scrap the Act about habitual criminals I will be better in the Auckland gaol."