SERVED THROUGH WAR.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 300, 19 December 1930, Page 8

SERVED THROUGH WAR.

MAN PLACED ON PROBATION.

EX-CAPTAIN IN AIR CORPS

CRIME OF FORGERY.

A man who had held the rank'of a captain in the British Air Force and had been a prisoner of war in Germany, wae sentenced in the Auckland Supreme Court to-day by Mr. Justice Smith on three charges of forgery. He was Joeeph Allen Parkinson, 32, described as a motor mechanic.

' Mr. Heiiry, who appeared for the, accused, said he had been in the employ of the Railway Department and had forged names to three cheques which he passed at the bare of Auckland hotels during a period of eight daye. The amount totalled £13 10/. Some time before the offences were committed, the accused had lost his wife in a tragic motor emash. He was in a despondent state of mind and had been drinking heavily. There was evidence that he "spent most of the money in drink. "It was only a rough attempt at forgery," eaid Mr. Henry. "It was obvioue on the slightest examination that the signatures did not coincide with those of the persons whose names had been forged. When he was charged with two offences the accused volunteered the information to the police that he . had committed a third. At the early age of 16 Parkinson had enlieted for active service and he served throughout the war, reaching the rank of captain in the Flying Corps. He had been in Auckland for six years and had never been in trouble before. Counsel asked for probation and described the offences as "drunken and foolieh acte." His Honor said that although there were three offences they were close together and he did riot think accused would have committed them but for the fact that he was in a reckless state of mind. Parkinson was admitted to probation for two yeare on the special condition that he took out a prohibition order against himself and paid the costs of the prosecution.