IMGpapers 1980–83

Newspapers of the International Marxist Group and its forerunners, 1980–83

What could happen to an accused shop-lifter under the new laws

Socialist Challenge No. 180, 15 January 1981 · p. 8 of the scan · 410 words

The scan: sc-n180-jan-15-1981.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive, opens at this page)

Uncorrected machine reading. This text was read by machine (Apple Vision OCR) from a scan of a newspaper page, and the page was cut into articles by machine, at the headlines found by their type size. Nothing has been corrected: expect misread words, text from a neighbouring article, and titles that are the machine reading of the headline, some of them only fragments. Quote from the scan, not from this page.
How this article was cut and titled: headline found by type size in the OCR geometry (split_tabloid.py); 4-7 of 7; machine-segmented newspaper page; uncorrected Vision OCR.

page 8 of the scan

JEAN SMITH needs a pair of tights. Taking daughter pops into Woolworths Selecting the pair of tights from the self-service counter she goes to Tine pay-out desk receipt. and Jean wants to get back home to - put on the lunch:

She brushes leaves the store. When she gets outside she is stopped by a member of woolworts security statu Has she paid for the pair of tights? she is asked. Jean reaches into her bag for the receipt and to her horror discovers two pairs of tights. later to find out that Betty had lifted the second pair and had been trying to tell her this when Jean brushed her aside.

Seeing the two pairs of tights in ner bag vean panics. receipt claims she palis, but throws away the receipt When questioned, the shop assistant doesn't even remember selling Betty the one pair.

Suspected The police are called and Jean is arrested the anvone is suspected ot committina by imprisonment she can his ad imprisonment s/ne rested without a warrant.

Jean and Betty Both finger-printed and photographed new powers granted to the police. Jean asks to see a solicitor. police refuse, saying they Jean of being epidemic of shop-lifting which has recently hit amount, say the police, to a 'serious' offence, and under the new laws any person suspected ot such an ottence can be denied access to a solicitor for up to 24 hours.

Repeating that they suspect Jean of being an experienced shop-lifter, the police apply to a magistrate to search Jean's home. rant is no longer necessary, premises unconnected with an alleged ottence.

In that respect, and after finding nothing at Jean's house, ask permission from a circuit judge to search the home of Jean's husband, from whom she has been separated for over a year.

Back in the police station Jean police her ten-year-old Betty with her, Jean even Betty is tugging at her arm Betty aside and she hides the bought both police.

laws can be again are taken to the The suspect responsible for Woolworths. These that A search wareven at , the police Bill Smith, sO.

them wnose will be cold Will be say the should not be magistrate in Lae new aw rule which 'confessions' properly obta Jean is fol press police for imp the told bv her so she has possi happened that the pol new powers and detentio But the s strengthenin‹ been treatment strengthenin‹ procedure,

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