PETTY THEFT

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 60, Issue 4233, 19 January 1940, Page 4

PETTY THEFT

KING COUNTRY VISITOR IN TROUBLE.

Incidents at Te Awamutu railway station on Wednesday afternoon led to the arrest of a man named Frederick E. Burnell, labourer, of Te Kuiti, and his appearance in the local Court before Messrs W. Jeffery and A. Law, justices, to answer a charge of theft. Constable H. Carseldine told the Court that Burnell had come to Te Awamutu that day,, ostensibly to transact business, but he had overindulged in liquor, and then went to catch the afternoon train back home. A young lady, waiting at the station, left hex- purse and parcels on a seat in the waiting room while she obtained some refreshment, and then found that the purse had been rifled and the parcels were missing. Complaint was lodged with the station officials, and the police were soon investigating. Burnell was sitting in the coi-nex- of a carx-iage, and his replies to questions led to his t being taken to the police station for further questioning, and arx-est. The missing contents of the parcels were recovered.

In Court Burnell entered a plea of guilty, and asked for leniency. Though Burnell was by no means a stranger to. the police, the Bench decided to impose a fine of £2, with a caution that he had been leniently treated; he should profit by that lenienev and avoid further trouble.