THEFT ON HIS BEAT

Southland Times, Issue 25302, 4 June 1935, Page 7

THEFT ON HIS BEAT

CONSTABLE SENT TO PRISON.

Due to retire next March on a pension of £153 a year, a London police constable, who had been in the force, for 24 years, was sentenced at the Old. Bailey to four months’ hard labour. Frederick William Clarke, aged 46, a married man with four children, was convicted of breaking into a dancing school on his beat at Teddington, ana stealing two packets of cigarettes and six three-halfpenny stamps. He was found not guilty on a charge of possessing housebreaking implements by night According to Mr J. F. Eastwood; prosecuting, two police officers went to the dancing school and marked certain packets of cigarettes, stamps and an electric torch. Then they secreted themselves in a hut and stayed there the greater part of the night. At 5.30 aon. Clarke, who was in uniform, came along and flashed his lamp on the building. He went along a covered way to the office, and remained there for some time. When Clarke came out the officers told him who they were, and he remarked, “Did you know one of tin windows was open?” The officers wen. inside the premises, and saw that tw< packets of cigarettes and six stamp.' were missing. They went after Clarke and told him to turn out his pocket i. The marked cigarette packets were then' disclosed. One of the officers stated, “These came out of the office,’" and Clarke replied, “I picked them up outside the back door.” The stamps were never found. Passing sentence as stated, the Recorder, Sir Holman Gregory, K.C., told Clarke: “The liberty of the subject was in your hands. You were supposed to catch thieves, and not be a thief, and under those circumstances both to punish you and to teach those who are in your position that if they offend as you have done punishment is inevitable, I must pass a sentence of imprisonment.”