HER ONLY OFFENCE

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1009, 27 June 1930, Page 1

HER ONLY OFFENCE

WOMAN FINED £lO FOR SHOPLIFTING “SUDDEN TEMPTATION” Urging that it was the woman’s first oflence and that she was at the age when she was most easily overcome by a sudden temptation, Mr. Moody asked in the Police Court this morning that Christiana Palmer be not sent to gaol. Accused was fined £lO for shoplifting. Palmer, a married woman, aged 43, was charged with stealing a tablerunner, valued at £1 Ss 6d, and a remnant, valued at 4s Cd, the property of a city firm, yesterday. Mr. Moody appeared for accused, and entered a plea of guilty. “I gave a shoplifter probation last week. I knew there would be another before long,” commented Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M.

Sub-Inspector Shanahan said a shop assistant had noticed Palmer in the store yesterday morning. She was putting goods, for which she had not paid, into a bag so he detained her. When the constable arrived, accused had made a statement admitting the ! offence and explaining that it had ■ been a sudden temptation. The police had visited accused’s home in search jof goods, but there was nothing to show that she had committed any ; similar offence. It was her first api pearance before the court. Palmer's husband was a marine engineer, and j she had two daughters, aged about j 20 years. IMPRISONMENT INDICATED Mr. Moody said he recognised the difficulty the court had to face iu dealing with shop-lifting cases. It had I been indicated that, to check the offence, imprisonment would have to i be imposed, but accused was just at that stage in her life when she waa most apt to succumb to sudden temp- : tations. Accused had been in custody all night, and had suffered considerable mental torment. Her husband was away at sea, and it would be a great shock to him when he returned. It was an isolated case. The Magistrate: If I send her to gaol there will be no more shop-lilt-ing for three months. Mr. Moody urged that it was a different case from that in which a woman had been given probation last week. That woman had visited several shops on different days, but accused had committed only the one offence, and there was no suggestion she had ] ever stolen before.

Major Annie Gordon, female probation officer, also gave it as her opinion that Palmer had not been stealing before, and a fine of £lO was imposed, in default a month’s imprisonment. Accused was given 24 hours ia which to find the money.