ALLEGED FRAUD

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 245, 30 July 1935, Page 6

ALLEGED FRAUD

FOUR PERSONS CHARGED. (Per Press Association). AUCKLAND, July 29. An unusual and sordid story was told in the Police Court when two men and two women were charged with conspiring to defraud an elderly married man of £75. _ T , The accused are: Peggy Jackson (27); Mina Elizabeth Armstrong (23); Reginald Morton Semb (29); and Matthew Edward Daulmey (27). The Magistrate suppressed the name of the complainant, and also cleared the court of the public. Complainant asserted that he became acquainted with one of the women and visited her at a flat over a period, and later was found in the with the other woman by the two men accused who represented themselves respectively as the husband of the woman, and an inquiry agent. To save a threatened exposure as co-res-pondent in a divorce action, he paid one man £75. Later when attempts were made to make him pay more money he went to the police. Detective-Sergeant McHugh produced a statement by Jackson in which she said Daubney told her he had received £SO from complainant. Daubney gave Jackson £ls, Armstrong £ls and Semb £5. McHugh stated that when he searched Dau fancy's room he found £23. Requests for bail were made by each counsel. The two men were allowed bail of £l5O each, and Jackson was allowed bail of £IOO. Owing to the inability of Armstrong to find bail, her case was adjourned until to-morrow to enable the' Magistrate to consider a request by counsel that she should be placed on probation pending trial in three months’ time. Charges of obtaining money by false pretences preferred against the four accused were dismissed, no evidence being offered. On. the conspiracy charge they were committeed to the Supreme Court for trial.