CITY POLICE COURT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23598, 7 September 1938, Page 6

CITY POLICE COURT

Tuesday, September 6 (Before Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M.) Breach of Probation Leon Cedric Goldsmid was charged with failing to comply with the terms of his probation.—Mr E. F. Mosley, probation officer, said that the defendant was admitted to one year’s probation on September 13, 1937, on a charge of the theft of a quantity of tea valued at £3 4s. He had been ordered to make restitution to the extent of £2 14s, but had paid only £1 out of that amount. The present charge, however, had been brought primarily because he had failed to report fortnightly as ordered. In fact, it had been very difficult to make him report at all. He was a married man with five children. He had been working during the greater part of the past 12 months, and could have paid the amount, but had made no effort to do so.—Mr J. G. Warrington said it was difficult to say much on behalf of the defendant. He had a wife and five children, whom he had maintained, although he had been on and off relief during the past eight years. Latterly he had been on rotational work with the City Corporation, and his earnings had been £4 10s a week, all of which was required to support his family. He was also heavily involved in debt owing to the long period on which he had been on relief. His attitude towards reporting was childish, as he stated that whenever he did report, he received complaints about his conduct.—The magistrate said that the defendant had been charged with unlawful conversion of a car during the term of his probation.—Mr Warrington said that the defendant had been associated with a man named Farris on that occasion, and his part in the offence had not been very serious.— The magistrate said that probation was not a formality. He would take into consideration the fact that the defendant was supporting a family. He would be convicted and placed on probation for a further period of three months, on the same terms as formerly.