Newspapers
The Liverpool Echo
Saturday, February 8 1936
ALLEGED SHOPBREAKING
FOUR YOUTHS IN COURT AT ORMSKIRK
Thomas Gabbitas, aged 18, and John McLoughlin, aged 18, were charged before the Ormskirk magistrates, to-day, along with two others, aged siteen and fourteen, with breaking and entering a shop and stealing pork pies and fruit. They admitted the offences.
Detective-sergeant Whittingham said defendants had made statements admitting breaking into the shop of Messrs. Swarbricks. Burscough-street, Ormskirk; Messrs. Irwin's shop in Aughton-street, and the store-room at the rear of the Queen's Head Hotel.
They also admitted attempting to break into the lock-up premises of the Ormskirk Photo Services. The defendants broke windows and forced them open.
Gabbitas and McLoughlin were committed to Preston Quarter Sessions on February 25 and were granted bail. The younger prisoners were remitted to the Juvenile Court for sentence.
At the juvenile court, sentence on the two younger defendants was postponed until after quarter sessions.
THE ORMSKIRK ADVERTISER,
THURSDAY AFTERNOON, FEBRUARY 13 1936
Page 10
ORMSKIRK SHOP-BREAKING CHARGES
TWO YOUTHS COMMITTED TO QUARTER SESSIONS
Thomas Gabbitas (18) and John McLaughlin (18), two Ormskirk youths, were charged before the Ormskirk Magistrates on Saturday last with breaking and entering the shop of Kessrs. Swarbricks Ltd., Burscough-street, Ormskirk; and with breaking and entering the shop of Messrs. Irwins Ltd.
The defendants admitted the offences, and were committed to the Preston Qurter Sessions for trial.
Two other youths, ages 14 and 16 were charged along with these two defendants, and they were remitted to the Juvenile Court foe sentence, which will be promulgated after the other two defendants are dealt with at quarter sessions.
The defendants also admitted attempting to break and enter the premises of the Ormskirk Photo Services, Park-road, Ormskirk; and three of them admitted being concerned with breaking and entering a store-room at the Queen's Head Yard, Ormskirk, and stealing oranges and apples.
Police Constable Geeves said that on January 29th he found a broken pane of glass near the catch in a window on the premises of Messrs. Swarbrick's Ltd., Burscough-street, Ormskirk. The window was open. On entering the premises he found that an unsuccessful attempt had been made to force the office door with some instrument. On January 30th he apprehended John McLoughlin in Moor-street, Ormskirk. Witness took McLoughlin to Ormskirk Police Station, where he was seen by Detective Sergt. Whittingham, who further cautioned defendant and questioned him with regard to the offence. McLoughlin denied all knowledge of the offence. Sergt. Whittingham then served him with copies of statements made by other defendants, and he then replied, "That's right." He also added "We broke the window at the photo services."
Thomas Spencer, baker, of 59, Red Cat-lane, Burscough, said he made secure the premises of Messrs. H. E. Swarbick, Ltd., on January 28th, 1936. At 6-30 a.m. on January 29th, as a result of a communication received from the police, he examined the premises. He found a broken window, and also the marks on the office door as if an attempt had been made to open the office door. There were 25 pork pies missing. These he valued at 4/1½d.
Det.-Sergt. Whittingham said on January 30th he saw Gabbitas, and not being satisfied with his answers to questions regarding the offence, he took him to Ormskirk Police Station where, in the presence of Sergt. Blachford, he said that he would give a statement, in which he said that in company with others he broke into Swarbrick's shop. Two of the others went into the shop, and he went into the house of one ofthe others, where some of the pies were eaten. The other prisoners were apprehended. Statements were made admitting that they were all together on that night, and also admitting that they had broken into Messrs. Swarbrick's shop. The prisoners were later cautioned and charged together with the offence, and they each replied, "I have nothing to say."
TINS OF PEARS
Ralph Lea, grocer's assistant at Messrs. Irwin, Sons and Co., Ltd., of Ryburn-road, Ormskirk, said that he made the shop secure before leaving on January 27th, and on arrival at 8.30 a.m. on January 28th he found the window at the back pemises had been forced open, and an iron bar fixed across the window had been forced off. Eight small tins of pears, valued at 4/4, were missing from the store-room.
Gabbitas said that they only took four tins, and witness replied that they estimated that eight were missing.
Detective Sergt. Whittingham said that when the prisoners were in custody on the other charges they made statments describing their entrance to Messrs. Irwin's premises.
Grabbitas and McLoughlin were committed to the sessions, and all four were allowed bail.
The Liverpool Echo
Tuesday, February 25 1936
LIVERPOOL MEN SENTENCED
Thomas Gabbitas, aged 18, labourer, Jubilee-avanue, Ormskirk, and John McLoughlin, aged 18, labourer, of Park-avenue, Ormskirk, pleaded guilty to shopbreaking at Ormskirk and other offences.
Mr. E. Errington, M.P., said defendants were two of a gang of four youths who had been going about Ormskirk committing shop-breaking offences. The other two of the gang were younger, and it was proposed to deal with them in the juvenile court. McLoughlin was considered the ring-leader.
Gabbitas was placed on probation for two years, and sentence on McLoughlin was postponed for six months.
The Liverpool Echo
Tuesday, May 26 1936
ORMSKIRK "Pests"
STORY OF AUTOMATIC MACHINE THEFT
At Preston Intermediate Sessions, to-day, John McLoughlin, aged 18, labourer, of Park-avenue, Ormskirk, and Thomas Gabbitas, aged 18, labourer, of Jubilee-avenue, Ormskirk, were sent to Borstal for three years, and sentence was postponed for six months on Francis Bilboe, aged 18, labourer, of Jubilee-avenue, Ormskirk, for stealing from an automatic machine at Ormskirk.
McLoughlin and Gabbitas were described by Mr. E. Errington, M.P., prosecuting, as pests with regard to this class of depredation at Ormskirk. They had previous convictions. Gabbitas was now on probation, and McLoughlin was awaiting sentence which was postponed at the February Sessions. They could not resist getting gangs together.
