CONVICTED OF THEFT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 258, 1 November 1932, Page 5

CONVICTED OF THEFT

I YOUNG MAN IN COURT STOLE BOARDER’S VALUABLES Pleading guilty to a charge of havingstolen three gold sovereigns, one half sovereign, one engagement ring and a gold watch, William Henry Price, a single man, 23 years of age, was yesterday given a year’s probation. Suppression of his name was refused. Mr. G. W. Currie appeared for Price. Detective Walsh said that Price had been residing with his parents in Wilson Street. A young lady was boarding at th e house fur some time. The accused had entered her room and taken the articles. He had disposed Of the sovereigns to a gold dealer and given the other articles to a Mrs. Christensen, and she had disposed of them. Some of the articles had been recovered. Price was a stable hand and had been unemployed for some time. The trouble had come from Price being unemployed, said Mr. Currie. Price was good at the work he had chosen and was the son of a highly respected family. He understood that before the accused had been arrested he had filled in the necessary papers in order to go to an unemployed relief camp, and suggested that probation should be given, the terms of which would provide for the payment of all his earnings t-o the probation officer, who after allowing Price his living expenses would apply the rest to the re-imbursement of tlje boarder. In view of the fact that it was Price’s first apcparance in Court, and in view of th e family, Mr. Currie asked that the name should be suppressed. In delivering sentence, Mr. J. H. Salmon, S.M., said that he would grant 12 months’ probation on account of the good character the accused had borne previously, restitution to be made. The offence was probably the result . ot Price’s being idle and not going into the single men’s camp before. Mr. Salmon said he could not suppress the name. It was one of the results of the offence that punishment should be brought on innocent people in bringing his parents’ name into disrepute.