SYSTEMATIC THIEVING

Waipawa Mail, Volume LXVI, Issue 70, 2 March 1938, Page 3

SYSTEMATIC THIEVING

MARRIED WOMAN SENT TO GAOL. PALMERSTON N, Last night. Reformative detention for a period not exceeding 12 months was the sentence imposed by Mr J. L. Stout, S.M., in the Palmerston North Magistrate’s Court on Margaret Mathieson Scott Hart, aged 33, married, who appeared on 57 charges of shoplifting involving a total value of £491 8s 7d and stated to have occurred in Palmerston North, Pahiatua, Levin, Wanganui and Feilding. Detective-Sergeant Meiklejohn told the Court that the accused was arrested at Pahiatua after making a raid on a number of shops there. In \ house at Palmerston North which she shared with a man was found a large quantity of goods of every conceivable description. She admitted that she had stolen them. It seemed that her activities Jiad been going on for 15 months. In her room, £217 2s 2d in money was found. The Magistrate said that the probation officer had not recommended probation, which, in fact, his Worship did not think he could give. It had not been an odd case of shoplifting; the accused had carried out systematic thieving all round the district.