ROBBED HIS FIRM, BUT GETS ANOTHER CHANCE.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 144, 19 June 1931, Page 7

ROBBED HIS FIRM, BUT GETS ANOTHER CHANCE.

EMPLOYER’S CLEMENCY IS PRAISED BY BENCH.

When a young salesman appeared before Mr E. D. Mosley, S.M., charged with the theft of a bed valued at £6 10s, and a Wilton carpet, valued at £2O, the property of a city furnishing firm, Mr M’Lachlan stated that his employers were prepared to take him back. Chief-Detective Carroll said that accused, in the course of his employment. stole the articles. His method securing the bed was to put through the sale of a wire mattress. The young man was not long married. Mr M Lachlan said that accused had originally intended to purchase the articles, and they w’ere now reinstated on the time-payment system. He asked for the suppression of the name of the accused and the firm. Mr Mosley (to accused): You know you have been a fool. I understand from the Probation Officer that you were led into this by the example of an older man.—Quite so, sir. “I hope this will be a lesson to you. Your employers have been remarkably good and it is not often that a firm is willing to take back an employee after being robbed.” said Mr Mosley. “ However, it speaks well for you and your employers. I don’t think it is necessary to put this young man on probation. “ I'm always getting appeals for the rednction of sentences end the suppression of names by the relatives and friends of convicted persons,” declared the Magistrate when counsel asked for suppression for the sake of the wife and others. “ There’s so much of this thieving from employers going on that I cannot possibly see my way to suppress the name. It may mean a certain amount of hardship on the firm, but it speaks well for them that they have re-engaged him. I don’t think anything derogatory to the firm could be imagined by the public. In fact, I think the public would be inclined to support a firm which does a kindly act like that.”