THEFT ADMITTED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27012, 22 February 1949, Page 9

THEFT ADMITTED

EGGS AND TOWELS FROM TALBOYS HOME CITY POLICE COURT CASES “ There was nothing criminal in the accused’s actions, he was simply a very foolish old man,” was the comment made by Mr G. T. Baylee, counsel for the accused, when Walter Richard Sainsbury, a retired hairdresser, was charged before Mr J .D. Willis. S.M., in the City Police Court yesterday with the theft of towels valued at £2 and with eggs valued at ss, the property of the Otago Hospital Board. The accused, who pleaded guilty was admitted to probation for two years. Chief Detective T. Y. Hall said there had been complaints for some time that eggs were . disappearing from Talboys Home, Caversham, which the accused had been visiting. The accused was accosted in a street near the institution and 13 eggs were found in his bag, five of them bearing identification marks. A large number of eggs were found at his home, where eight white towels belonging to the institution were also discovered. Mr Hall explained that the accused had been visiting the home to cut the hair of patients and he had been allowed to enter the kitchen. He had not been in trouble before. Mr Baylee said there had been a good deal of waste at the home and it was suggested to the accused that there would not be any harm if he took a few eggs. The towels, counsel said, were used by the accused when shaving the patients and they were always returned. He did not make any profit from the sale of the eggs. The accused had found himself in a very awkward position. The magistrate: Very awkward; he may find himself in gaol. His Worship added: “ It was a miserable type of theft from an old people’s home." Mr Baylee said the accused was in a bad state of health. The magistrate said the fact remained that the accused had been deliberately stealing valuable foodstuffs from a charit-' able institution and there was no excuse for the way he had behaved. A condition of his release on probation was that the, accused is to stay away from the home. Theft of Clothing " I don’t want my name published,” exclaimed Frederick Andrew Cumberbeach,’a farm labourer, aged 34, who admitted the theft of a quantity of women's clothing valued at £5. the property of Marjorie Alexandra Cumberbeach. The magistrate: If you don’t want to have your name published you should conform to the law. Senior Sergeant D. Vaughan stated that the complainant was the accused’s sister. He had taken the articles from her home and had left them under some trees. They had all been recovered. The accused was placed on probation for two years, a condition imposed being that he took out a prohibition order. Admitted to Probation Gavin Edgar William Kinsman, a circus hand and labourer, pleaded guilty to the theft of a cigarette case, valued at 15s, the property of Frank Charles Restieaux. Chief Detective T. Y. Hall said that the accused went to complainant’s shop last Thursday and after buying a packet of cigarettes loitered about the doorway until the assistant went back to the saloon and then took the cigarette case. The accused had been employed by Wirth’s Circus, but had lost his position. In a letter which the accused’s father sent to the police if was stated that his parents wanted the accused to return home. The magistrate commented that it was in the interests of the accused and the community if he were placed under some form of supervision. The accused was admitted to probation for two years, a condition being that he lived with his father during that time. Fined for Assault “ It is a serious matter to interfere with a taxi-driver, and there have been a number of such cases of late,” commented Senior Sergeant Vaughan, when William John Sparks, a slaughterman, aged 44, was charged with assaulting Norman Batchelor Hayward. The accused, who pleaded not guilty, was fined £5, with costs (10s). The complainant, a taxi-driver, said he had been called to a house in Melville street on February 12 at about 6.6 p.m. On arriving there witness was accosted by the accused and another man. The accused ” made a swipe ” at witness, and when witness put up his hands tcrdefend himself the other man held him. the accused striking him five times. Constable Andrew Allan said that the accused and his companion were both slightly under the influence of liquor. Unlawfully on Premises For being found unlawfully on licensed premises after hours Brendon Hill-Scully, Michael. Moyles, Hugh Nolan, and Lawrence Burdett Smith were each fined £2, with costs (10s). On a similar charge, Eva Stevenson was fined 10s, with costs (10s). Decision Reserved Cyril Law, licensee of the Commercial Hotel, Green Island, was charged with supplying liquor after hours. The defendant, who was represented by Mr G. M. Lloyd, pleaded not guilty. Counsel contended that the liquor had been bought and paid for earlier in the day, and that it had been merely stored in a meat safe for’the customer who picked it up having a key of the safe. The magistrate reserved his decision. Work Not -Carried Out A fine of £5, with costs UOs), was imposed on Barningham and Co., Ltd., for failing to carry out an inspector’s requisitions concerning the defendant’s factory. ,