CITY POLICE COURT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22563, 6 May 1935, Page 20

CITY POLICE COURT

Saturday, Mat 4. (Before Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M.) A FOOLISH ACT. Patrick Cecil Dillon, for whom Mr J. G. Warrington appeared, pleaded guilty to having stolen a Gladstone bag and contents, the property of Robert Cahill. —Senior Sergeant Packer said that on the afternoon of December 24 last the accused took the bag from the complainant's lorry, which was standing at the comer of Cumberland and Frederick streets. He left the bag at a store and walked down the street, but returned about half / t»n hour later to see if it was still there. He did not call for it again, and nothing further was heard of him or the bag until the storekeeper called at the detective office to ascertain if it had been reported as missing. There appeared to be no doubt that the ac cused, when he committed the theft, was under the influence of liquor.—Mr Warrington said that the offence took place on Christmas Eve, and it was significant that the accused, after depositing the bag, had not called back for it. Ho was under the influence of liquor at the time, and had no recollection of,what he had done. Drink, as a matter of fact, was his trouble, and when he took liquor he lost all sense of responsibility. —The magistrate, remarking that f he theft appeared to be the stupid act of a drunken man, convicted the accused and ordered him to come up for sentence if called on any time within six months, a condition being that lie should take out a prohibition order. IDLE AND DISORDERLY. A girl, 17 years of age, publication of whose name was prohibited, pleaded guilty to being an idle and disorderly person in that she had no lawful visible means of support.—Senior Sergeant Packer said that the accused had tun away from home three times within the last 12 months, and recently had Deep p.srociating with a second-hand dealer in Cumberland street. A week previously she had left her home, and on three nights had stayed at a private hotel. On four other nights, however, she had slept in the Woodhaugh Gardens. She had a good home and her parents were willing to have her back, but she was very stubborn, and refused to return. — The girl's mother appeared in court and offered to take her home, but the accused refused the offer, and expressed her willingness to go, instead, to the Salvation Army Home. —Ensign Coombs suggested that the accused should be admitted to the home for a period, and said that it might be possible to find her a position. —The magistrate said he was reluctant to enter a conviction in the case of such a young girl and adjourned the case for three months, conditional on the licensed romainiug in the Salva-tion-Army Home during that period.