Five Charges Of Shop-Lifting Are Admitted By Women In Court.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18642, 20 December 1928, Page 9

Five Charges Of ShopLifting Are Admitted By Women In Court.

“ DIFFICULT TO KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THEM,” SAYS MR E. D. MOSLEY, S.M.

Five charges of shop-lifting were preferred against two women, Annie Celina Kortegast, aged thirty-six, and Anita Esther Wilson, aged twenty-eight, involving amounts to a total of £46 15s lOd, at the Magistrate’s Court this morning. Mr E. D. Mosley, S.M., was on the bench. Chief-Detective Carroll prosecuted and Mr M’Lachlan appeared for the accused women, and pleaded guilty to all charges. The detailed charges were:— 1. —That on December 18 they stole goods valued at £9 Is sd, the property of Messrs Beath and Co. 2. —That on July 1 they stole goods valued at £1 15s 6d, the property of Armstrong and Co. 3. —That on December 1 they stole goods valued at £1 3s 6d, the property of Whitcombe and Tombs, Ltd. 4. —That on December 13 they stole goods to the value of £9 12s 6d, the property of the New Zealand Farmers’ Co-op. 5. —That on July 1 they stole goods to the value of £24 15s lOd, the property of Beath and Co.

Chief-Detective Carroll stated that the accused were sisters, who were seen taking away articles from Beath and Co. The police, on visiting the premises of the accused, discovered the oth£r articles, which the accused frankly admitted taking from shops. The younger woman was married, with two children. The accused had apparently started on their shop-lifting career at sale time in July. The articles were mainly clothing, hats and books. The Magistrate: Were the books novels ? The Chief-Detective: of some sort. Mr M’Lachlan said that the two accused came ©t' a respectable family, and had led upright lives until recently. The Magistrate: These offences have extended over a lengthy period. It is difficult to know exactly what to do with these women. Offences of this sort should be dealt with by an adequate penalty. The two accused were remanded for sentence till to-morrow morning.