PRISON SENTENCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27082, 17 May 1949, Page 3

PRISON SENTENCE

ROBBING CLOTHES LINES MAGISTRATE’S COURT CASE “ You are are a menace to the housewives of the district, and this conduct cannot be tolerated,” said Mr J. D. Willis, S.M., when imposing a sentence of 12 months’ reformative detention on Keith Robert Hammond, a labourer, aged 34, in Ihe Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Hammond had pleaded guilty to 10 charges of the theft of clothing valued in all at £2B 4s 6d. The thelts had been perpetrated at night from clothes lines in homes in the South Dunedin and Caversham districts, amongst the accused’s ill-gotten gains being 32 pairs of women's knickers. The accused was sentenced on a charge relating to the theft of clothing valued at £l2, and on each of the other nine informations, ha was convicted and discharged. Outlining the offences, Chief Detective Hall said the accused had gone around to various houses where washing had been hung out to dry. At the time of his arrest a large quantity of clothing had been found in his possession. The accused had three previous convictions for dishonesty. “ My wife left me some time ago and I went out of my mind and that led me to do these things,” the accused told the magistrate. “ The accused seems to have some sort of a ‘ kink,’ ” commented the probation officer, Mr E. F. Mosley. His case seemed to be a particularly difficult one. “ This is a particularly miserable type of theft,” the magistrate commented in imposing sentence. Sent to Borstal “He is not fond of work and seldom stays on a job for any length of time. He is in the habit of leaving boardinghouses without paying his board and owes money at a number of places,” said Chief Detective Hall in detailing two charges of theft against Brian Edwin Whitelaw, a seaman, aged 20 years. Whitelaw, who was not represented by counsel, pleaded guilty. Chief Detective Hall said that Angus William Mclntosh, a slaughterman staying at the Bridge Hotel, Mataura, discovered on April 18 last that his wristlet watch was missing. Subsequently a detective, while making inquiries, was given a watch which had been left at a boarding house as security. It was ascertained that this was the watch missing from Mataura. The second charge concerned a watch taken from a boarding house in Cumberland street, Dunedin. A man named Cyril Charles Broome, a boarder, placed the watch in his drawer, and later found that it was missing. The accused was in the same dwelling. At the present time he was on probation. Whitelaw was committed to a Borstal institution for 12 months. Remanded in Custody Walter Alman Parsloe, a slaughterman, aged 32, was remanded in custody until Monday next on a charge of breaking and entering the dwelling house of Alexander John Wilson and stealing therefrom a Winchester rifle valued at £5. Licensee Convicted It was monstrous to suggest that the licensee would not know that the t men were on the premises, said the magistrate when convicting Horace Wilson, licensee of the Rugby Hotel, who had pleaded not guilty to aiding and abetting the sale of liquor. Wilson who was represented by Mr E. J. Anderson, was fined £2 and costs (10s). Sergeant H. J. Squire said that a police party went to the hotel at 8.55 p.m. on April 1. When the police car drew up at the hotel witness noticed a man standing outside the door. The curtain the door moved, and this led him -to believe that all was not well within. Witness rang the bell, and five minutes later he was admitted by the wife of the licensee A constable climbed over the fence to cut off any escape from the rear. Witness heard a scuffling nmse upstairs, and eventually he asked the licensee to open the door of the storeroom. When the licensee opened the door witness found 10 men in the room. h Mr Anderson said that the charge against Wilson was unsatisfactory it could not be said, counsel contended that a licensee who was merely on tne premises was aiding and abetting. The magistrate said it was necessaiy for the licensee to give some explanation of what went on in the hotel. The defendant said he did not know that the police were on the premises until he was called from upstairs. On Licensed Premises For being unlawfully on licensed premises, William James Wilson, Robert Foote, Lewis Jenkins, Redmond James Murtagh, Hugh Kirkwood, Andrew May, Albert John Daniel Smith. Frederick Aithui Williams, and Cedric Lindsay Williams were each fined £2 and costs Hugh Kirkwood and Andrew May were each fined £3 10s and costs ( 10s) tor supplying false names and addresses. No Permit Reginald Bassnet Miles (Mr G. 'M. Lloyd) pleaded guilty to procuring a fire--arm without a permit. The police evidence- showed that the rifle had been stolen from a motor car at Abbotstoid by a juvenile, who sold the rifle to the defendant for £l. For the .defendant, Mr Lloyd said that Miles hacfpaid the boy an advance sum of £1 on condition that he produced the papers in relation to the rifle. The boy had failed to do so. and the rifle was not fuily paid for. The defendant was not aware that the rifle was stolen. Miles was fined £2 10s and costs (10s). Possession of Game For having in his possession imported game during the closed season. Sydney John Thomas Gudsell (Mr W. McAlevey was fined £5, with court costs (10s) and solicitor’s fee (£3 3s). The original charge against the defendant was killing imported game, to which he pleaded not guilty, but he changed his plea to guilty when the charge was amended The case was brought by William Manson. a ranger, employed by the O ta f>° Acclimatisation Society, for whom Mr K. W. Stewart appeared. Two witnesses for the prosecution stated that they had seen the defendant taking a duck from the Leith. The defendant’s explanation was that he saw the duck on the water, and he had taken it “ because no one else seemed to want it." Increased Fine When Henrv Richard Hall, who had pleaded not guilty, was convicted on a charge of casting offensive matter in a public place the magistrate commented that he had intimated that fines.for this type of offence would be increased. The defendant was fined £4. with costs (10s). Chimney Fire

For allowing a chimney fire, Thomas McMillan was fined £l, with costs (10s).