WOMAN DUPED.

STORY OF SICK WIFE. EX-NAVAL MAN'S OFFENCE. An ex-naval man employed as an engine driver at the Auckland Mental Hospital, who stole goodts from the hospital and defrauded his landlady by telling her stories about a sick wife, was dealt with by Mr. J. Morling, S.M., in the Police Court to-day. He was Reginald Jamee Arthur Swan, aged 37, for whom Mr. Aekins appeared. Swan pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing, on May M, two and a half yards of mangle felting and two and a half yards of sheeting, of a total value of £2 3/, the property of the Mental Hospital Department, and, on dates between January '.) and Jlai'i'h -o last, ■with intent to defraud, obtaining sums of money totalling £24 from Daisy Scott by falsely representing that he required the money to visit his sick wife at Rotorua. Detective W. W. Roddick produced a statement made by Swan in which he admitted theft and obtaining various sums of money totalling £24 from Mrs. Scott by false pretences. Swan said his wife was not in Rotorua, but lived in England. He made several visits to see a woman in Rotorua and spent the money in going there and on entertaining. Swan expressed his regret for what he had done.

Detective-Sergeant Walsh, who prosecuted, said Swan, some years ago, came to -\ew Zealand ' from England as a member of the Royal Navy. Since 1936 he had been employed as engine driver at the Mental Hospital, his wages being about £20 per month. His wife was in England. Swan rented a room from Mrs. Scott and while there he told her the stories about his sick wife in Rotor ua. "Plausible Wastrel." "On one occasion," continued Mr. Walsh, "Swan brought a woman to the houee, introducing , tier as his wife. She stayed there as his wife. On eight different occasions he obtained money from Mrs. Scott by faleely representing that he wished to see his nick wife at Rotorua. He even elaborated on this story and told Mre. Scott that his mother was ill also. There' in nothing that can be said in his favour and I think he can best be described ae a plaueible waetrel. Some time ago he got to know that Mrs. Scott had sold some property and intended investing her money. Swan suggested that she sho i lend him £100 and that she would get more interest from him than if she otherwise invested it. He borrowed £100 from her and used it to buy a motor oar. Since then the car hae been repnsaeesed, ami Mre. Scott hae got neither the principal nor interest." Mr. Aekins euibmitted that Swan wa« not quite as bad as Mr. Walsh had described him. "Swan eays that his •wife left him in England and went to live with another man and had a child to him," added counsel. "Since he hae been here Swan hae petitioned for divorce and obtained a decree nisi, which has not yet been made absolute. This cost him £80, of which he has paid £40. Out of hie wages he has been paying £5 per fortnight, including £1 10/ off the loan he got from Mrs. Scott, eo he is not quite the heartless ecoundrel. Had this charge not been brought Mrs. Scott would have got every penny owing to her." Mr. Aekine also eaid that Swan left the navy with a very good character and dischargee. He was willing to pay Mre. Scott out of the £80 due to him Oβ superannuation. Under these circumstances counsel asked that Swan be given a chance on probation. After he had consulted the probation officer, Mr. Morling told Swan that his conduct in obtaining money from an elderly woman wae not the sort to gain sympathy from the Court. However, a* thie wae the first time he had been in trouble, the magistrate said he would show leniency and admit 'Swan to probation for two years, a condition bein? that he repaid £24 to Mrs. Scott. "I have " come to this decision partly 'becauee you 'have voluntarily agreed to charge a substantial amount of your superannuation money to repay Mrs. Scott, eo to eonie extent you have righted a wrong," eaid Mr. Morling. "But the Court does not look lightly on Tour offence, and if you get into trouble ?.gain you can 'be dealt with on the original charge. , . . On the theft charge Swan wa.« convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon within 12 month*.