£268 BY FRAUD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23269, 11 February 1939, Page 14

£268 BY FRAUD

DEPARTMENT DUPED WIDOWER ON RELIEF CLASSED AS MARRIED MAX PRISON 7 FOR A MONTH "This is tlio worst'omsp of deliberate misrepresentation to obtain sustenance that I have heard of." said Mr. F. If. Lcvien, S.M., in the Police Court yesterday, in sentencing a wharf labourer, Joseph Farrell, widower, aged 08, on eight charges involving excess .sustenance amounting to £2GB -Is 3d, receivedover a period of seven years. Accused admitted six charges of making false statements to obtain sustenance, and denied two of false, pretences. Prosecuting on behalf of the Labour Department, Mr. \V. A. Black said that accused registered lor relief when the unemployment scheme began ill 19.51. He declared that he was married and maintaining a wife and two children, and he had been in receipt of relief ever since. In October, 39.'50, an inquiry officer interviewed accused about the employment of his son, and when ho asked to see the boy accused made excuses. Later lie called at the Labour Bureau, saying his son had left homo. Attempts to Interview Wife

Unsuccessful attempts were then made to interview accused's wile, Air. Black continued. Accused made statements that she and one child were still living with him, hut in November, J937, accused applied to have his classification reduced to that of a single man, explaining that his wife had left him. The matter of locating accused's wife was subsequently handed to the police for investigation, Mr. Black said. Accused could not produce his marriage certificate, and said he,was married in Napier between 1912 and 1914. He was unable to give the whereabouts of Ins wife or sons or any relative who might have supplied the information. As a lesult of inquiries made at Napier and Auckland, it was established that accused's wife died in 1918, and there were no children. • Admission to Police

Tn August, 1935, accused made a statement to the police that since he first registered as unemployed Jiad dcliberatelv misled the officers or the Labour Bureau as to his true position, said Mr. Black. "My wile died in l.Jlfe, without having children, and 1 did not remarry," accused continued. 1 now franklv admit that 1 have repeated y supplied wrong 'information and told numerous lies over a period of years, m trying to justify the' existence of an alleged wife and child. My sole reason for doing so was to get increased benefits from'the department." . Sentencing accused to a month s imprisonment, the magistrate said he did not consider that a fine, in addition to imprisonment, would servo any good purpose. ________________