PICKPOCKET GAOLED

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21155, 30 September 1938, Page 13

PICKPOCKET GAOLED

Incident at Geraldine Races Man Grabs Hand in Coat "The circumstances of this case are unusual in New Zealand—it is simply a case of pickpocketing," said senior Sergeant D. J. Hewitt in the Timaru Magistrate’s Court yesterday when John Robert Moore was charged with the theft of a wallet and contents to the value of £5, and also with the attempted theft of the wallet, the property of Pearce Ivey. The charge arose from an incident at the Geraldine races at Orari when Ivey grabbed Moore's hand when he felt it inside his coat and in the vicinity of the pocket bearing the wallet. Moore was convicted by Mr H. Morgan, S.M., on the charge of attempted theft, the theft charge being withdrawn. A sentence of three months imprisonment with hard labour was imposed after the police had stated that Moore had a nasty list of convictions in Australia and that he was not wanted in New Zealand. Moore pleaded not guilty and elected to be dealt with summarily. Counsel for the defence was Mr L. M. Inglis. Leaving the enclosure after the last race he was making towards the place where the cars were, said Pearce Ivey. There was a large crowd at the gates and he met a man coming in who pressed against him. He moved to the left but found the man had also moved across. He then felt a tug at his coat and bringing his left hand across sharply he grabbed Moore’s hand, which was resting on the wallet. Moore then let the wallet go and it remained half out of the pocket it had been in. He then grabbed Moore by the wrist and Moore begged to be “freed, tugging several times as trying to get away.’’ I told him to go out with me to the open and towards a constable." Moore was the man who did it and his hand was definitely in his pocket, said Ivey. Moore told him not to be ridiculous when he accused him of trying to steal the wallet, said Ivey in answer to Mr Inglis. There was a big crowd going out and Moore said he was going in to see a friend. He had also asked what he wanted with the wallet when he had £7O worth of tickets on him. His coat was open and he was not wearing’ an overcoat. He was several feet away from the post between the small gate and the larger one. When he seized Moore’s right hand it actually was inside the coat, he said hi answer to Mr Morgan. He did not see the pocket book in Moore’s hand, but the hand was on the pocket book and the book was half out of the pocket. As he came through the gate he saw Ivey holding Moore by the wrist, said William Sugrue. Ivey was accusing Moore of stealing his wallet. He was not certain that it was right in the gateway but thought it was close to the post. Detective Kempt said he saw Constable Hall accompany a man into the racecourse. Moore denied having done what was complained of. He knew Moore had money in his possession at the time, and he had no suspicious articles on him. The Defence That the case for the prosecution fell far short of proof was the claim made by Mr Inglis. He called attention to the fact that Ivey was convinced that someone was trying to steal his wallet, and had moved the position of the happening away from the dividing post so there could be no suggestion of accused having tried to force his way past the post. A pickpocket operates in a crush, said Mr Morgan. That the hand was in the coat provided a satisfactory case for the prosecution. Moore, from the dock, said that after the last race he was leaving the course to catch the train to Christchurch, when he remembered he had left his coat in the cloakroom and returned to get it. On endeavouring to get through the crow’d Ivey suddenly demanded what he was doing, and accused him of trying to get the pocket book. Ivey then grabbed him by the wrist and he asked him to be reasonable. He told Ivey there was no need to take him to the police if he was allowed to explain. An officer asked him 'or the ticket for his coat, and obtained the coat from the cloakroom. To substantiate the denial he had produced the £7O worth of betting tickets for the day. Ivey said he was trying to recuperate losses by taking the wallet, so he produced his own wallet with £lO in cash in it. He was not denying that his, hand had been within the vicinity of the pocket, as it was quite possible his hand was against the coat, but he insisted it was on the outside end if it was near the wallet it was a purely unintentional move. He had made no effort to take the pocket book. There was a lot of crushing on both sides and he was in a hurry to get the train as he was uncertain at what time it left. “I am satisfied accused had hold of the pocket book in an endeavour to steal it," said Mr Morgan. The circumstances showed an ideal situation for a pickpocket to operate in the crush in the gateway. Ivey had made clear that the hand was iqside the coat when he seized the In his opinion it was Moore’s intention to steal the wallet and he convicted him on that charge. The police withdrew the other charge of theft. Moore had not beer, long in New Zealand, said the Senior-Sergeant, He had a nasty list in Australia, and they did not want him in New Zealand. Mr Inglis suggested the best solution would be for Moore to return to Australia. which he was irepared to do. “Will they take him back in Australia?" asked Mr Morgan. “They would have to,” said Mr Inglis. Senior-Sergeant Hewitt: We do not want him running about this country.