A SAD CASE

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 205, 30 September 1929, Page 7

A SAD CASE

YOUNG MARRIED WOMAN'S LAPSE. EFFORT TO EMBELLISH HER TROTJSSEAU. The story of a young married wonian, who shortly hefore her marriage, entered a house in Dannevirke and possessed herself of a number of articles, including frocks and underclothing to which' she had no colour of right, ivas told in the Napier Police Court before Mr A. M. Mowlem, S.M., and Mr A. E. Bedford, J.P., this- morning, when the girl in question appeared to answer a charge of the tlieft of hed linen, towels, frocks and underclothing to the value of £28. For the aecused Mr A. E. Lawrv stated that she ivas prepared to plead guilty were the charge reduced by £6 3s 6d, the value, of goods unrecovered. To this Detective-Sergeant Fitzgibbon agreecl and the charge was amencled accordingly. Detective-Sergeant Fitzgibbon stated that the complainant, who lived in Dannevirke, went avvay for a lioliday and left the keys of her liouse in the cave of the accused's motlier. While she was away the aecused gained possession of the keys and ivent througli the house and appropriated the goods. When intervieived hy the detective in Napier in respect to the charge she admitted perfectlv frankly that she ivas guilty and returned the stolen goods with the theft of which she ivas now charged. With regard to the goods which had not been recovered, the police had no proof that the goods had heen stolen. "She says plainly that she did not take them and I must say that l believe it, sir," remarked Mr Fitzgibbon. There were certain dresses which the complainant was . not prepared to accept back, since she alleged that they had been altered. Mr Lawry, for the aecused, stated that tliis was a particularly sad case. He had no doubt that the girl yielcled to the temptation of taking the goods and embellisliing her wnrdrobe in vieiv of her impending marriage. Slie had comnienced her marriage under most unfortunate circumstances and he submitted that this was a oase justifying prohation and the suppression of the name. The husband was prepared to make £12 restitution for the goods spoiled. "It's an awful thing where the desire to take that which is not yours leads you into disgrace," saict the Magistrate to the aecused, going on to.remark that it was perfectlv plain that in committing the offence the aecused ivas prompted hy a desire to show her husband that she was possessed of goods of whieli she had aetually 110 right She would he admitted to prohation for a period of two years and an order would he mf.de that her husband make £12 restitution for the goods altered and allegedly spoiled. This appeared to be preeminently a. case suited to tbe supliression of the name.