FINED £200

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 129, 13 March 1935, Page 6

FINED £2OO

CANCELLED STAMPS USED. PENALTY ON DUNEDIN DEALER. MANY PREVIOUS PROSECUTIONS. (Per Press Association.) DUNEIDIN, This Lay. In the Police Court to-day a fine of £'2oo was imposed on William Lawrence Hooper, aged 64, a stamp dealer, who traded as Wilcox, Smith, Ltd., for affixing to a parcel addressed to the United States two stamps bearing cancellation marks. He denied the charge. The only question at issue was whethef it was done fraudulently. Defendant was last convicted an a similar charge in 1929 and fined £2OO. In imposing the maximum fine, the Magistrate (Mr Bartholomew) said he would take into account the age of accused and the fact that his last offence had been six years ago, and he would not impose a term of imprisonment. The police evidence was that, when interviewed, Hooper admitted having seen marks on the stamps, but he would nob agree .they were cancella* tion marks. In evidence, Hooper said he was absolutely satisfied that the stamps were unused. He admitted having paid fines totalling £4OO since 1915, and that he had been prosecuted nine or ten times.

Defendant ascribed the markings to the possibility of, .the • stamps having been rubbed together, but the Magistrate said that his explanation could not be accepted.