THEFT FROM CAMP

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24474, 6 December 1940, Page 9

THEFT FROM CAMP

MESS MONEY STOLEN A SOLDIER SENTENCED FINGERPRINT EVIDENCE (Peb United Press Association; AUCKLAND, Dec. 5. A discovery that the officers' mess at Papakura Military Camp had been broken into bn the night of November 23 had a sequel in the Police Court to-day when Joseph Walter George Coleman a soldier and steward aged 38 was charged with stealing about £2B the property of Thomas Patrick Laffey and others. Detective Sergeant Walsh prosecuted and Mr Noble, who appeared for the accused entered •> plea of not guilty ' George Allen, a steward at the officers' mess, said that on Saturday night there was about £lO in tobacco money and £lB in liquor money in the bar at the mess The door was locked when the bar was closed at 9.15 p.m. The accused was in the dining-room as a waiter at the mess, and his duties did nol include the bar Movements of Accused* Other witnesses stated that on the following morning it was found that the doors of the bar and of the locker containing the cash box had been forced open and the money takeu A handkerchief was found on the floor bearing a number corresponding witn that marked on another handkerchief belonging to the accused. The movements of the accused from the camp to Papakura. and then by taxi to Auckland, were traced, and evidence was given that he booked in at a city hotel early on Sunday morning. During the morning he gave the receptionist. £iu in note's and silver to look after tor him. He also left £3 with the receptionist at another hotel. . The results of an examination of finger prints on a glass dish from which the money had been stolen at the cantD were detailed by Sergeant Francis, who said the prints of the accused's fingers were the only clear ones. In his opinion, this indicated that the accused had last handled the dish. , ~ In a statement made to a detective, the accused denied the theft from the camp saving that he had obtained £lO from a girl on Sunday morning to pay a debt. The detective added that the accused made no mention of the £3 which he had deposited at a different hotel Story Disbelieved "The accused's whole story is patently without the slightest foundation," said Mr J. Morling. S.M. "Before he received the £3 10s in Wages on Saturday the accused had no money. He took a taxi to Auckland and paid for a room with small coins, such as would naturally come from a bar. The accused says later that he had obtained the money from a lady." Coleman was sentenced to three months' imprisonment, and an order was made that the recovered money should be returned to the officers' mess.