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The Curious Case of the Whitminster Village Hall Thief

This article is copied from The Illustrated Police News, 14 February 1935:

 Judge Thanked

 "Thank you very much, sir, I've got off very light." Remarked John Moore, 76, when sentenced by Mr Justice Hawke at Gloucester Assizes to six months imprisonment on charges of breaking into Whitminster Village Hall and stealing articles valued at 4 shillings and 6 pence. There was a term of 344 days remaining of a previous sentence, and Moore was told that he would have to serve that time. 

 P.S. (Police Sergeant) Howkins revealed that since 1904 Moore had been continually in and out of prison. Since that time he had been sentenced seven times to penal servitude, involving in all 23 years. 

 In addition, he was in 1927 sentenced to four years imprisonment and had served further sentences most of them in respect of house breaking. Moore's last sentence was three year's penal servitude. 

 Moore handed in a statement to the judge, beginning "I most respectfully wish to state I am 76, and am therefore entitled to old age pension." He declared there was £2 due to him before he was arrested and asked that somebody should collect it for him.

 The judge informed Moore that he had no authority to deal with his pension and his best course was to ask the prison authorities to communicate with the Ministry of Health. 

 "I very much suspect this man steals in order to get back into prison" remarked the judge later. 

 Upon hearing his sentence, Moore asked "May I go back to Parkhurst?"

 Judge: You will probably serve the outstanding 344 days there.

Whitminster Village Hall Today



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