Theft 'not meant '

Theft  ‘not meant ‘

Hertfordshire Mercury, 20th April 1951

Sixty-one-year-old Mrs Eleanor Mary Ilott , of 19 , Spencer Street , Hertford , was fined 5 shillings and ordered to pay 15 shillings costs at Hertford Borough Court yesterday ( Thursday ) for stealing an egg-timer valued at 5 shillings , the property of Botsford & Sons , Hertford , on April 4. She pleaded not guilty .

Reginald A. Needs , shop assistant , of 31 Hertingfordbury Road , Hertford  , said he served Mrs Ilott with a pint of paraffin and saw her take an egg-timer which was on display and put it in her bag . He mentioned this outside the shop , as she was leaving , and said he had seen her take the egg-timer . She gave it to him and he told her he would have to report the matter to his employer .

Mrs Ilott told the Court : ” I got the paraffin and replaced the bottle in my bag and put in the egg-timer , intending to ask how much it was . I had so much on my mind that I just took it . I had no intention of stealing it – I just never thought anything more about it .”

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