THEFT OF SOAP

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27094, 31 May 1949, Page 3

THEFT OF SOAP

THREE MEN PLEAD GUILTY MAGISTRATE’S COURT CASES The theft of soap was admitted by three former employees of a city manufacturing firm when they appeared before Mr J. D. Willis, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. The accused were . John James Miller Andrews, a factory employee, aged 51, who was charged with the theft of soap and soap powder, valued at £l7 25,. Walter Ritchie Reggett, a labourer, aged 34, theft of soap valued at £4 15s 9d, and Leslie John McCreath, a motor driver, aged 34, theft of soap valued at £8 3s 4d. All the soap was the property of McLeod Bros. Mr W. McAlevey appeared for Andrews and McCreath, and Mr J. B. Deaker for Reggett. Detective Sergeant Brown, who prosecuted, explained that the three accused had been employed on night shift by McLeod Bros., and when they had finished work on Saturday morning last they had taken the soap. McCreath had engaged a taxi after he had left work and had taken a quantity of the soap to a house in Forth street. He had sold it to a man, but all he had obtained for it was 4s in money and four bottles of beer. The other accused had taken their soap home. McCreath, Mr Brown said, had a list of previous convictions. His wages amounted to £9 a week. Reggett was in a position of responsibility and was a leading hand. He received wages of £lO ss. Andrews had been employed by the firm for three years, his wages being £8 10s. “ The charge came as a sad shock to his family,” declared Mr Deaker, who appeared for Reggett. “It is his first offence, and he is not likely to come before the court again.” The soap that he had taken had not been sold. For Andrews, Mr McAlevey said the accused’s action had not earned him a single penny. “ This peculiar and unlawful hobby of soap collecting,” counsel said, could not be explained. “ This is a foolish offence, which is his first and will be his last.” Counsel produced a medical certificate which stated that the accused was in such a bad state of health that he could not be “ sent to prison in his present condition.” Dealing with McCreath’s case, Mr McAlevey said the accused had been sent to the Borstal when he was 18 years old and he had been admitted to probation for 18 months on a charge of theft in 1946. The magistrate, in imposing sentences, said that McCreath had had leniency extended him but had not profited by it. He was sentenced to a month’s imprisonment with hard labour. Andrews and Regget were each fined £lO, and in view of the gravity of the offence, default • of immediate payment was fixed at 14 days’ imprisonment with hard labour. Receiving Charge "It has often been said that the receiver is worse than the thief, for ,he affords a means of disposing of the stolen goods,” Mr Willis said, when convicting Thomas Aaron Riddle, a barman, aged 38, of receiving from Leslie John McCreath a quantity of soap valued at £8 3s 4d, knowing it to have been dishonestly obtained. He pleaded not guilty, and was fined £l2 10s, in default of immediate payment 14 days’ imprisonment. Mr McAlevey, for Riddle, said that the defendant had known . McCreath for about 12 months, having met him while working in the bar of an hotel. He had often lent McCreath a few shillings to buy beer, and had received small quantities of soap in return on two occasions. The soap was that issued to all employees of McLeod Bros., Ltd., every month. He had given McCreath 8s on the night before the theft of the soap, and had been told that he would receive a parcel of soap in return. When the large bag of soap had been delivered to his home he had been suspicious and had packed it into a box, so that he could return it to McCreath when he saw him later the same day. The police had arrived before he saw McCreath again, and they had found the soap in a box under a bed in his home. The magistrate, in convicting Riddle, said that he was not impressed with the statement the defendant had given the court, compared with the one he had made to the police. Alleged Assault George McNeill, a seaman, aged 23, Daniel David Miller Andrews, a labourer, aged 31, and Robert Robertson, an engine driver, aged 39, were charged with assault, i In asking for a remand until the following day, Senior Sergeant Vaughan said that the victim of the assault had been badly knocked about. The three accused were remanded until this morning, bail being allowed each in the sum of £SO and one surety of £SO. p ossess j on of Firearm

A charge of the theft of a rifle brought against Walter Alman Parsloe. a slaughterman, aged 32, was dismissed after evidence had been heard. He Pleaded not guilty to the charge, but pleaded guilty to a second charge that he was in possession of a rifle except for some lawful and proper purpose, and was convicted and fined £2 10s. - The defendant, for whom Mr F. W. Guest appeared, said that he had been in a state of mental depression for some time and had recently had one eye removed. He had been having a good deal of matrimonial trouble, and had taken the rifle from the house of a friend so that he could intimidate a man who was seeing his wife in Balclutha. He did not have any bullets for. the rifle. He had been living apart from his wife for about five months, and had been experiencing great difficulty in getting to see his child. , _ , , .. Sergeant J. P. Mather, of Ba.clutha, said that he had apprehended the defendant in Balclutha when he had seen him crossing the road with a rifle under hl s arm. He had made a threat to use the butt of the rifle. Objectionable Letter A 19-year-old youth who appeared on a charge of sending an objectionable and indecent letter through the post was convicted and discharged after evidence ot his good character had been given. On March 17, 1948, the police stated, a shopkeeper in Cargill road received an .objectionable ' letter through the post. It was written in pencil. Similar handwriting recently came into the possession of the complainant, and the arrest of the youth followed. Mr A G. Neill said that the case was 15 months old, and emphasised the good character that the youth had always borne. There were abnormal phases which occurred in some men’s lives and not others, and since that time the youth had taken up a healthy sport. • Chimney Fires Edward James Calder and Elizabeth Brown were each fined 10s, with costs C 10s), for allowing chimney fires.