TEMPTED YOUTH.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20367, 26 July 1934, Page 12

TEMPTED YOUTH.

Thieves Gave Prospect of Easy Money. After inducing a young man to steal oil and paint from a city firm where he was employed, two older men plied a good trade selling the materials to the public. But the police heard of their cheap retailing, with the result that the trio appeared before Mr E. D. Moslej' - , S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court this morning. They pleaded guilty. Reginald George Forman, a bootmaker, thirty-seven years, of Hazeldean Road, Earl Victor Hazeldine, a dealer, aged thirty-four, of Winchcombe Street, and a youth, whose name was suppressed, were the accused. They were charged with stealing linseed oil and paint to a value of £3O Os lid, the property of a city firm. At the beginning of July it was noticed that paint was being sold in the city at a price considerably lower than was usual, said Detective-Sergeant Holmes. It was found that Hazeldine was disposing of large quantities of white lead, paint and oil. The paint had been removed from drums, but these drums bore marks showing that they had been imported by a city firm. There had been collusion between the three accused, the younger of whom was assistant storeman at the warehouse in question. Hazeldine had suggested earlier to the storeman that if anything were taken from the store it could easily and profitably be disposed of. Forman was introduced as a contractor, using an assumed name. The result was that the youth stole from his employers and passed it on to Hazeldine, who sold the stolen goods. Hazeldine, continued the detectivesergeant, had been twice previously convicted for false pretences. Forman had been placed on probation for two years in 1933 for theft. It appeared that the young man had been tempted by the other two. Mr Thomas, counsel for the youngest accused, said that he had been employed by the firm for three years. His employers found every satisfaction in him. The youth had onlv received £1 10s as his share of the £3O. The youth was admitted to probation for twelve months. Forman and Hazeldine were each sentenced to six months’ imprisonment. Forman was also sentenced to two terms of three months’ imprisonment for a breach of his probation and on the theft charge