Stealing

taliesyn · 17 Apr 2006 at 20:47

Chris [BEANS] said:
It's difficult to do this without sounding petty or a know-it-all, it's hard to tell someone's tone in writing but i promise my intentions are good

There is no such thing as "Stealing by finding", it's simply theft.

The definition is

So simply "finding" something and not taking reasonable steps to find the owner is covered by the "dishonestly appropriates" part.

No, there is certainly an offence called 'theft by finding', as Beansprout, Treefrog, and others in the thread have said.

But jobless Greensides, 35, claimed that he had not been involved in the original burglary and had found the dog wandering around. He admitted theft by finding. The Crown accepted this and he was ordered to complete 60 hours community service (2) and pay £200 costs (3).

- from here

also

The unnamed soldier left her waistband holster and her Sig Sauer 9mm automatic pistol in the disabled toilet in a Sainsbury's at Hitchin on Saturday.

It was found by detectives in a postbox in Hertfordshire on Tuesday morning.

Police said a 20-year-old man from Ickleford arrested on suspicion of theft (by finding) will face no charge.

from the jolly old BBC, here

Chris [BEANS] · 17 Apr 2006 at 21:03

taliesyn said:
No, there is certainly an offence called 'theft by finding', as Beansprout, Treefrog, and others in the thread have said.

- from here

also

from the jolly old BBC, here

It seems it's a commonly used term (although admittedly i've never heard it before) but there is definately no specific 'offence' of 'theft by finding'.

Theft Act

SexyGreyFox · 17 Apr 2006 at 21:05

Is that the Suunto X6 HR T £550 ?

taliesyn · 17 Apr 2006 at 21:19

Chris [BEANS] said:
It seems it's a commonly used term (although admittedly i've never heard it before) but there is definately no specific 'offence' of 'theft by finding'.

Theft Act

Evidently not a specific offence then, but the Met Police also use it

Q. Karen finds a purse on the pavement containing £300. If she keeps it is she breaking the law?

A. Yes this is called Theft by finding and she could be arrested. What she must do is take it to a Police Station. If nobody claims it after four weeks she is given it back.

See here

also

(iii) Felonious taking or appropriation
(Modes of Appropriation)

There are three recognised ways by which someone can be deprived of his or her property for the law of theft: by taking, appropriating or finding. The actus reus and mens rea for theft cannot easily be separated, particularly in relation to the second and third modes of theft.

although that's from the University of Edinburgh school of law, so it may be Scottish law (I'm no lawyer)

Chris [BEANS] · 17 Apr 2006 at 21:32

taliesyn said:
Evidently not a specific offence then, but the Met Police also use it

See here

also

although that's from the University of Edinburgh school of law, so it may be Scottish law (I'm no lawyer)

Hahaha, can't believe you found it on a Met website!! That makes me look a bit silly now, I only know what i know because i joined the Met in January.

Don't know how old that website is but i promise you, a person would only be arrested for "theft" don't know where this term has come from but i'll ask around tomorrow and post back on what i find out.

Cody · 17 Apr 2006 at 22:31

I managed to leave my trousers at the Gym!

I go straight from work so walk back in my tracksuit bottoms, I didn't realise until the next morning when I couldn't find my house keys, I rang the Gym at 8.05 am and they confirmed that they were in the changing room. The annoying thing was that they left them in hanging in the changing room all day!

AdamSee · 17 Apr 2006 at 23:18

dmpoole said:
Is that the Suunto X6 HR T £550 ?

That's the one, yeah.

I rang the police up and they're going to contact the gym tomorrow about the CCTV records. When I next go I'll ask about a poster and the such like to see if I can get one put up - Also got to find out if it'd be covered on house insurance because it's definately worth some excess.

taliesyn · 18 Apr 2006 at 10:37

Chris [BEANS] said:
Hahaha, can't believe you found it on a Met website!! That makes me look a bit silly now, I only know what i know because i joined the Met in January.

Don't know how old that website is but i promise you, a person would only be arrested for "theft" don't know where this term has come from but i'll ask around tomorrow and post back on what i find out.

Whoops

I'd certainly be interested in more information if you can get it

Skiddley · 18 Apr 2006 at 10:39

AthlonTom said:
Yes of course its stealing! Time doesn't make it less bad!

So if I find a Roman coin buried in a field is it stealing?

SexyGreyFox · 18 Apr 2006 at 10:48

Skiddley said:
So if I find a Roman coin buried in a field is it stealing?

Good point.
The Roman coin belongs to the owner of the field you took it from - I would think.

So heres the next point -
If the OP had died in the gym would taking the watch be regarded as stealing or does it belong to the gym?

(one sandwich or two?)

evil.jelly · 18 Apr 2006 at 10:55

dmpoole said:
So heres the next point -
If the OP had died in the gym would taking the watch be regarded as stealing or does it belong to the gym?

(one sandwich or two?)

Technically if the op died in the gym then there would be no watch as the op was the one who had his watch stolen.. but meh that's mere semantics on a good joke

Treefrog · 18 Apr 2006 at 11:09

dmpoole said:
If the OP had died in the gym would taking the watch be regarded as stealing or does it belong to the gym?

Yes and no. It would belong to the person the corpse had left it to.

taliesyn · 18 Apr 2006 at 11:41

dmpoole said:
Good point.
The Roman coin belongs to the owner of the field you took it from - I would think.

It does, unless it's a gold coin, when it technically is 'treasure trove' and belongs to the crown (who pay market value for it if they want it though)

Scythe · 18 Apr 2006 at 11:49

AdamSee said:
It was actually me who had it stolen from, I wasn't sure if it could be reported to the police as stealing or not. There's hope that the gym CCTV has picked something up and maybe I could claim back on house insurance if I can't get it back.

The watch:

I'd probably hand something like that back in to the gym - although I can see why others would have taken it.

Gutted

Ohh, A Suunto, I'd ask around the gym definitely and claim on insurance. I know that Suunto's are expensive as I have a scuba diving watch by them that records depth and many other things

benjo plz. · 18 Apr 2006 at 11:51

Scythe said:
I know that Suunto's are expensive as I have a scuba diving watch by them that records depth and many other things

Extremely expensive tbh.

Chris [BEANS] · 18 Apr 2006 at 18:29

taliesyn said:
Whoops

I'd certainly be interested in more information if you can get it

Right, apparently it's just a term people use to specify a kind of theft. It's not a specific offence andit's not a legal term.

Same as shoplifting, we all know what it is and we all use it because it describes a type of theft but the offence and resulting conviction would be for 'theft'.

sorted, i know i feel better now, was starting to get confused!!