BURIED IN GARDEN

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 262, 4 November 1932, Page 5

BURIED IN GARDEN

DETECTIVE FINDS £3220. STOLEN FROM BANK SAFE. yOUNG CLERK ARRESTED. "SAYS HE IS PLEADING GUILTY." Officials of the Newmarket branch of the National Bank of New Zealand discovered yesterday morning that the sum of £3220 10/ in notes had been taken from the safe. The matter was reported to the police at I p.m., and in response to an urgent request that a detective be sent to the bank, Detective J. Hunt was assigned the inquiry. Various members of the bank's staff ■were interviewed by Detective Hunt, and at 7 p.m. he arrested Norman Gloag Smith, aged 23, a clerk employed at the bank, charging him with the theft of the money. Detective Hunt went to Smith's home at Rocklands Avenue, Balmoral, and, digging in the garden, unearthed the whole of the money, £3220 10/, which had been buried beneath the soil in jam jars.

When members of the bank's staff reached the premises yesterday morning there was nothing to indicate that a theft had been committed. The doors and windows and the safe were intact. However, later in the morning the disappearance of such a large sum was discovered.

Smith appeared before Mr. W. R. McKean, S.M., in the Police Court this morning. He was charged, on November 2, with breaking and entering, by day, the counting-house of the National Bank of New Zealand and stealing £3220 10/, the property of the bank.

Detective Sergeant Kelly asked that the matter be adjourned until this afternoon, when the hearing would proceed. "Accused admits taking the money, and says he is pleading guilty," added Mr. Kelly. "All the bank notes were found buried in jam jars in hia garden."

Mr. Hall Skelton, who appeared for Smith, said the charge should not be one of breaking and entering, as Smith had the right of entry to the bank.

"We won't quibble over that," said Detective Sergeant Kelly. "He took the money."

Accusde appeared before justices this afternoon. Sub-Inspector Gibson conducted the case.

Murray McNeil Caird Walbran, teller, employed at the bank, said he balanced hie cash and locked it away in the safe in the strongroom about 5.30 p.m. on November 2, It amounted to £8291 9/8. On arrival at the bank yesterday morning witness discovered that a bundle of 800 £1-motes was missing. On counting the cash he found that there was a shortage of £3225. The missing money consisted of notes only. Witness gave accused a lift home in his car on Wednesday evening. He then carried with him a leather kit bag. There were two keys to the safe, witness holding one. Accused had no right to have a key on November 2, but until a week ago was entitled to a key.

Cross-examined by Mr. Hall Skelton, witness said accused was a most efficient officer. He had been eight years at the bank. Accused's Return to Bank.

Graham Nuthall, another clerk, said he left the bank with accused and Walt>ran, after locking up the bank. They proceeded along Broadway in the direction of Remuera Road when accused, Smith, said: "Give me the key, Nuthall, I have left my life insurance policy inside." Witness said he gave accused the key and went back to the bank with him and to the strongroom, where Smith unlocked the door and took •an envelope from the top of a box of pass books. "We then locked the door of the strongroom and went out into the street after locking the front door after us," continued witness.

Walbran was waiting about 15 feet up the street, and they joined him and walked along towards the Newmarket Hotel. After going about 30 yards Smith again stopped and said, "Give me the key. I have only brought the empty envelope."

Witness handed him the key and then started to run back towards the bank. He followed accused, and before he could catch up to him, Smith had opened the door of the bank and closed the door after him. Witness could not get in and waited for him to come out again. Smith was inside from two to five minutes before he came out. He was carrying a leather kit bag when he went in and also when he went out. When Smith came out he said, "Where is Murray ?" meaning Walbran. Witness told Smith that he had gone. Just at that time witness heard a whistle, and, looking across the street, saw Walbran sitting in his car. Smith said goodnight to witness, and went over to Walbran in hfs car. Witness said that of course he did not know anything about the money 'being stolen. Evidence that he counted the money (produced) at the detective office, and that it amounted to £3220 10/. was given by John Richard Woods another clerk employed at the bank. Destroyed the Key. Detective John Hunt said he interviewed accused at the detective office last evening. Smith admitted that he had taken the money from the National Bank at Newmarket and that he had Used a key to open the safe in the strongroom to get the money he had etolen. Accused took witness to hie home at 37, Rocklands Avenue, Balmoral, and there dug up the money from three different places. The money was put into the bag which witness produced and taken to the detective office, where accused and Mr. Woods counted it. Accused made a Btatement admitting stealing the money. Smith informed witness that he had since destroyed the key he used to open the safe. Brief Statement. Accused's statement was as follows: — "On November 2, I took from the bank at Newmarket, a sum of money. All the money that I took I gave on my own accord to Detective Hunt. The money was buried. I wish to thank Detective Hunt for the kind and courteous manner he has shown to me and am only tdo willing to do anything I can that may be of assistance to him. I also wish to express my sincere regrets to the staff and all persons who had been put to inconvenience in regard to this affair. The was all in note® and amounted to £3220 10/." *■' {Proceeding.) \