£l0 SOLD FOR SIXPENCE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 177, 29 July 1932, Page 11

£l0 SOLD FOR SIXPENCE

BOYS’ DEAL WITH YOUTH. THEFT CHARGE FOLLOWS. Does appropriation of articles which are believed to have been picked up in the street constitute theft? was a question Mr. T. B. McNeil, S.M., was asked to decide at the Police Court at Wellington on Saturday morning, when a young man appeared to answer a charge of having, on or about January 1 last, committed the theft of £lO in money, the property of John William Radford. The accused, who was defended by counsel, pleaded not guilty. The magistrate reserved his decision. Detective-Sergeant Revell said that a son of Mr. Radford’s, aged 9, had taken two £5 notes from the pockets of his father’s clothing hanging in a wardrobe, and had gone out on to the street and given another boy, aged 10, one of the notes. The accused had come along, and offered the boy Radford 6d for the £5 note he had in his hand, whereupon the other boy had also handed over to the accused the other £5 note. The accused, toward the end of January, had gone to the races at Trcntham, and had lost the money in betting. Detective Smith produced a statement made by the accused, in which he admitted that he had bought the notes for 6d, but said that the boys had told him they had found them. Counsel for the accused said that the facts wore admitted, but the boys had said that they had found the notes, and his action in taking them did not constitute theft. He quoted authorities in support of this contention. The accused had watched the Press to see if anyone had advertised for two lost £5 notes, but as no one had done so he considered he was entitled to them. Restitution would be made by the accused. The magistrate said it appeared to be* a question of law, and reserved his decision. On the application of counsel, Mr. McNeil agreed that the name of the accused should be suppressed in the mean-