"GIRL SENT TO PRISON - DESCRIBED AS RATHER A BAD LOT"

December 24th - 1941

GIRL SENT TO PRISON - DESCRIBED AS RATHER A BAD LOT - SERIES OF THEFTS DISCLOSED

Not much Christmas cheer in this case for 17 years old Mary Holmes of Barrowby, as she was sentenced to three months in prison for stealing a lady's push bike. As sentence was passed, she "wept bitterly", and had to be led from the court by a Police Matron. The prosecuting inspector had told the court ominously that, "She wanders about and is absolutely out of control".

Having taken the push bike from the rear of a premises, Holmes took the push bike to the premises of Frank Wood, "Wireless and Bicycle dealer" (I have no idea if there was a common cross over between the two commodities in 1941!), valuing the bike at £8, but being willing to accept £3 for it. Holmes was wily though, signing a receipt under the name of Mary "Bell", and claiming that the bike had been sent to her by her mother in London, and that it was "quite alright". Mrs Wood, being rather suspicious, checked up on the address given by "Bell" with the local post office, and ascertained that it wasn't a real address.

The Grantham Borough Police were called, and detective Bramhall took the case. While the newspaper report doesn't say how he found her, we know that he interviewed her the same day, with her saying "I have only been in town five minutes". Later, however, she confessed, saying "it does not matter what I say. I will go to gaol this time".

Background checks showed that she had been in Grantham for eight years, living in a caravan in Barrowby. She'd worked at the British MARco site, but had been sacked earlier in the year for having committed a theft. She'd been placed in several homes pending being sent for imprisonment, but had escaped three times!

The report from the Police to the court ended by telling them that, "There had been a considerable number of complaints about her conduct in the town. She kept company with soldiers, and stayed out at night".

Modern Policing would be much more concerned with the safeguarding of a 17 year old who is reported to be out all night with soldiers, and who lives in a caravan. Even with the theft of a pedal cycle, there would be very little prospect of a prison sentence, with the Youth Offending Service and other interventions coming into play in order to ensure no further re-offending.

#1941 #youthjustice

IN OTHER NEWS: "DIG FOR VICTORY WEEK PLANS DISCUSSED". Also, a joke printed on the front page: "In a lounge of a hotel much frequented by black marketeers, two doctors sit and chat. One says to the other 'I've got a great many cases of hysteria'. A black marketeer leans over and says, 'I'll take the lot, mister"

ADVERT OF THE WEEK: State Theatre, Grantham - Basil Rathbone in The Black Cat