ROBBED EMPLOYERS.

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17994, 12 April 1930, Page 7

ROBBED EMPLOYERS.

MOTOR SALESMAN’S LAPSE

SERIES OF THEFTS. MAGISTRATE’S OBSERVATIONS. “The crime of theft is enormously on the increase. During the past ten years it has doubled. This is out of all proportion to the increase in population. A very regrettable feature is that by far the highest percentage of convicted persons for this class of offence are young people. After the age of 30 the percentage falls considerably. It makes one , wonder whether one is doing right to grant probation in such cases- While the •individual may not offend again, such lenient treatment is not a sufficient deterrent to others.” The above observations were made by Mr Wyvern Wilson, S.M., .at the Hamilton Court to-day in a case in which a young man of 19 years, Alexander McLuckie, was charged with stealing money .and goods to the value of £52 7s 6d, the property of the Farmers’ Co-operative Auctioneering Co., Ltd., by whom he was employed- ~ . Detective J. White said that on -being arrested accused made a signed statement in which he admitted the thefts.- He also stated that early this week he repaid all the money to the firm, though he w r as told this would not absolve him from prosecution. What had prompted him to steal the money had been the pressure brought on him for the payment of an account of £2O for board. . The detective said the discovery of the thefts was made by one of the managers of the firm, who questioned accused about certain irregularities in the department of which accused was manager. He then frankly admitted the thefts, , . , , Detective White added that defendant -was the head of the motor sales department, and had come down from Auckland in 1929 on recommendation from an Auckland motor firm, from whom the Auctioneering Company held an agency. He was in receipt of £3 15s a week, and while this was a ■good wage for a youth of his age, he seemed to hove tried to live beyond his means. On defendant’s behalf Mr C. L. Mac Diarmid said accused’s mother and step-father resided in Auckland. Accused was no more than a boy, and appeared to have borne an excellent reputation with the firm he had been with in Auckland. The position he secured at Hamilton seemed to have been a little above him, and he did not appear to have been able to adequately carry the responsibilities. He had repaid the money by borrowing it from his mother. His previous employer had come down from Auckland, and had promised' to supervise the boy’s future if he was allowed out on probation. Counsel added that, while not desiring in any way to minimise the seriousness of the crime, he would like to point out that the series of seven thefts had ail been committed within about a month, and did not extend over a lengthy period. Accused’s former employer gave evidence of accused’s previous reputation, which he described as excellent. , . His Worship remanded accused for sentence until Tuesday.