Soldier steals motor-bicycles

Hertfordshire Mercury, 27th November 1915

Transcript

At Hertfordshire Assizes on Monday, Harold Nutt (18), motor driver, pleaded guilty to stealing a motor-bicycle, the property of Lieut. Reginald Cunard, Allen, R.F.A., at Abbots Langley on September 24.

Mr Murphy said the prisoner was in the R.F.A., and deserted.  An officer’s motor-bicycle was handy and he took it and sold it in Buckinghamshire.  He afterwards joined the A.S.C., and in September was sent back to the R.F.A..  Whilst proceedings at Court Martial were taking place he escaped and stole another motor-bicycle which he left on the roadside in Lincolnshire.

Lieut. Allen, R.F.A., said that apart from these thefts, the prisoner was a good soldier.

His Lordship:  ‘I see that he was sentenced to six months imprisonment by the Court Martial.  Did he serve that term?’

Mr Murphy:  ‘I think so.’

The prisoner said that he did not like the R.F.A. and applied to be transferred to the A.S.C., so as to be a motor-driver, which was his trade.

They would not let him go and so he ran away.

The Judge:  ‘You are a remarkably stupid man to expect that by committing crimes of this sort you can get into the particular branch of the services that you like.  You are sentenced to six months’ hard labour.

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