PAWNED HIS TEETH.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20202, 12 January 1934, Page 7

PAWNED HIS TEETH.

Man Wanted Money for Woman Friend. THEFT CHARGE DENIED. (Special to the “ Star.”) AUCKLAND, January 12. Leo Augustus South, forty-four years of age, a labourer, when he appeared in the Police Court, said that besides giving a woman £ls, he had pawned his suit and his false teeth for her. South was charged with stealing a handbag worth 6s 6d and 8s 6d in money, and with being drunk in Hobson Street on Wednesday. Aileen Marmont said that she was employed as housekeeper for a man named Crane. At 6.15 on Wednesday evening, accused and another man entered Crane’s house. Witness said s h e was lying down, as she was ill. “South demanded to know where my purse was, and then he put over jiu-jitsu stuff on me and took my handbag.” Witness said accused took the bag, which contained 12s. She used to know South, but not lately. Counsel: Did he pawn his things to get. money to spend upon you? “No, not on me. He pawned things for himself.” The Magistrate (Mr Wyvern Wilson) : How do you know that he pawned articles? “ Well, I was with him and waited outside the shop.” (Laughter.) Counsel: Do you deny that he asked you for the pawn tickets, so that he could get his suit and false teeth out of pawn, and you would not give them to him? “ Yes, I do.” Witness admitted a number of previous convictions and that she had been in prison. Counsel told the Magistrate that South merely wanted the purse to get his pawn tickets and retrieve his property. “ 1 submit that there is no evidence disclosing theft,” said counsel. “Is your Worship prepared to dismiss the matter at this stage?” South, who wore his shirt sleeves rolled up, revealing a tattooed arm, entered the witness box. lie said that the woman Marmont and he had been living together for four weeks, and that he had spent £ls on her. “ I even pawned my suit and false teeth to get money to spend on her, and all I wanted the purse for was to get the pawn tickets. There was never any intention to steal.” Detective-Sergeant M’Hugh: Why did you rush in and take the woman’s purse when she was lying down on the bed ? Witness: There is no bed there for her to sleep on. She was standing up in the kitchen when I went in. “ The story told by accused is quite as likely as those told by the lady and her. paramour,” said the Magistrate, in dismissing the theft charge. South was fined 5s for drunkenness. “Now that the theft charge is dismissed, may South have the 8s 6d found on him when arrested?” asked counsel. The Magistrate: Yes.