THEFT OF A RING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22808, 18 February 1936, Page 4

THEFT OF A RING

ACCUSED TECHNICALLY GUILTY: CONVICTED AND DISCHARGED Unusual circumstances led to a charge of theft that was preferred in the City Police Court yesterday against Thomas Anzae MacGillivray, aged 20. The charge, to which a technical plea of guilty was entered, was that on February 1, 1930, the accused stole a gold ring valued at £G, the property of George Latimer. Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., was on the Bench.

Chief Detective Young prosecuted, and the accused was represented by Mr C. J. L. White.

Chief Detective .Young said that on January 24 last a young man entered the pawn shop of Mr Latimer in Rattray street and asked to see a tray of rings that was displayed in the window. He examined them without making a purchase, but later it was discovered that a ring valued at £<> was missing. A week later a man attempted to sell a ring to a dealer named Townsend, but no ileal took place. The dealer found that the ring corresponded with the one

stolen from Latimer. The police were informed, and the next day when the accused came back with the ring he was arrested. He said he had found the ring in a packing ease at the place where he worked. He had brought it under the notice of his employer and had then tried to sell it. Latimer knew the accused, and stated definitely that he was not the man who had stolen the ring. Consequently the police were prepared to accept the accused's statement that he had found the ring. The accused had been in trouble before and was at present on probationary licence. He had been behaving satisfactorily since being released from the Borstal last August. Mr White said that at the time of the commission of the offence MacGillivray was only 19, having since turned 20. Immediately after his release from the Borstal he secured employment with a local firm, and his father had since made arrangements for him to learn a specialised trade. On one occasion last month he had wanted some packing cases, and had gone to a Princes street store to obtain them. He was able to get only one, however, which had been standing in a right of way for some time, ami on taking the case to his employer's premises found that it contained some rubbish, among which was the ring. It had evidently been placed there by the person who stole it. The accused's employer examined the ring, which he declared to be of not much value, but the |

accused later took it to a jeweller, who offered him 8s for it. At a later stage, however, the accused found that it was of some value, and it 1 was his attempt to pass the ring that made him technically guilty of theft. Evidence as to MacGillivray's good conduct since his release, from the Borstal was given by his father. "In view of the circumstances," said the magistrate, " the accused will be convicted and discharged. The ring will be returned to the owner."