MONEY FROM GAS METERS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 68, Issue 28, 13 November 1947, Page 8

MONEY FROM GAS METERS

£2751 NOT HANDED IN BY COLLECTOR (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Nov. 12. How a meter reader employed by the Wellington Gas Company collected money from boxes which he failed to hand in to the company was told in the Magistrate’s Court to-day when Lawrence Mark Chapman, aged 43, labourer, appeared on 10 charges of theft of money totalling £2751 6s 9d, the property of the Gas Company, at Wellington, between April 6, 1945, and September 20, 1947. Chapman pleaded guilty to all chargee, and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. Matthew Joseph Kennedy, secretary of the Wellington Gas Company, said that Chapman had been employed by the company for 12 years, and for eight years had been working solely as meter reader in the city and suburbs. On August 19 witness questioned Chapman about a shortage of money from slot meters and accused admitted taking an amount of about £2700 over a period of two and a half years. Chapman had made a 'Statement that he took the money to pay gambling debts. As his position became worse, he gambled with larger, sums until his position became hopeless. Whenever he had a win he had endeavoured to pay back some of the money he had stolen.