PICKPOCKET CONVICTED.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20289, 23 December 1927, Page 10

PICKPOCKET CONVICTED.

OPERATIONS ON RACECOURSE. AN INTERNATIONAL RECORD. (Special to Daily Times.) CHRISTCHURCH, December 22. A pickpocket -with an international record was caught red-handed at the New Brighton Trotting Club’s meeting la.st week, and he made bis appearance at the Magistrate’s Court to-day before Mr H. A. Young, S.M. His name is James O’Brien, and he is 66 years of ago. Two charges* were preferred against him—that he attended the races while prohibited, and that lie stole two ten-shilling notes from James Samuel Horne. The accused pleaded guilty. Senior Sergeant Fitzpatrick said that when O’Brien was arrested he practically admitted his guilt. Giving evidence, Horne said that ho was standing up against the fence of the enclosure during the progress of the third race. O’Brien came up and put his left hand underneath witness’s arm and jammed him up against the fence. Witness felt something at his hip pocket, and putting his hand in he found that two 10s notes had gone. O’Brien was then standing 10ft or 12ft away, and witness accused him of taking the money. A bystander said : “ Cough up. I saw what you did.” O’Brien then said: “ I won’t rook you,” and handed the money back, asking witness to let it drop at that. A constable came along, and witness told him about the affair. O’Brien was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. Dealing with the trespass charge, the Magistrate said that O’Brien had been convicted in Johannesburg, South Africa, and in all the States of Australia except South Australia, and also in New Zealand, of theft or attempted theft from the person. He would not come up in the Supreme Court before the beginning of February, so he would be fined £lO, in default six weeks’ imprisonment for trespassing on a racecourse. That would keep him at work till the theft charge was heard in the Supreme Court.