THEFT ON THE INCREASE

Taranaki Daily News, 5 November 1932, Page 7

THEFT ON THE INCREASE

COMMENT RY MAGISTRATE.

CASE IN THE WAIKATO'. ,

■ Attention to the alarming increase in recent years in offences against property was drawn by Mr. Wyvern Wilson, S.M., in the Magistrate’® Court at Hamilton on Thursday when dealing with a case in which Angus Alexander Cameron, a draper’s assistant, aged 20, pleaded guilty to the theft of a diamond ring valued at £l5, the property of Audrey Burton. The magistrate stated that last year in New Zealand over 1100 persons were imprisoned and over 700 got probation for theft, making a total of between 1800 and 1000 convictions, compared with 600 twenty years ago, when few were allowed probation. These statistics showed how rife theft was in the community. In fact, it was the only crime which was on the increase “I have very grave doubts as to whether I should admit anyone to probation who commits this class of crime,” added the magistrate, addressing hocused. “If- anyone receives probation you should, because of your youth and previous good name. Because you have beep rendered idle, which always encourages crime, I shall admit you to probation for IS months, and shall not suppress your name, because the public have the right to know. You have to live that downThe evidence showed that accused recently arrived at Hamilton from Thame® in the hope of finding work, having been, dismissed through serving hi® time under the shop assistants award. He became associated with people who had a detrimental influence on him, and stole the ring from a friend’s house, subsequently pawning it for £l. . Accused said he needed the money to travel to Okoroire for a farm job. H® had not been before the Court previously,