BIG BANK THEFT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 263, 5 November 1932, Page 13

BIG BANK THEFT.

CLERK STEALS £3220.

BANKNOTES BURIED IN GARDEN. _ YOUNG MAN FOR SENTENCE. Pleading guilty to a charge of breaking and entering, on November 2, the counting-house of the National Bank of New Zealand, at Newmarket, and stealing £3220 10/, the property of the bank, Norman Gloag Smith, bank clcrk, aged 25, appeared before Messrs. M. Guthrie and A. J. Stratford, J.P.'s, in the Police Court yesterday afternoon. Smith was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. Sub-Inspector Gibson conducted the case. Mr. Hall Skclton appeared for accused. Murray McNeil Caird Walbran, teller, employed at the bank, said he balanced hig cash and locked it away in tlio safe in the strongroom about 5.30 p.m. on November 2. It amounted to £8291 9/8. On arrival at the bank oil Thursday witness discovered that a bundle of SOO £1 notes 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 liim 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 eflicicnt 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 Walbran, after locking up the bank. They proceeded along Broadway in the direction of Remuera Roa.l 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. Ho followed accused, and before he could catch up to him, Smith liad 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 lie 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 his car. Witness said lhat 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. Cross-examined by Mr. Hall Skelton, witness said that accused was a hardworking and very efficient officer. In reply •to a further question by counsel as to whether he had noticed any difference in accuscd's physical or mental condition of late, witness said that he had appeared to be ill during the past few weeks, and witness had seen him taking nerve tonics at the bank on occasions. Destroyed the Key. Detective John Hunt said lie'interviewed accused at the detective office on Thursday evening. Smith admitted that he took the money from the National Bank at Newmarket and that ho had used a, key to open the safe in the strongroom to get the money ho had stolen. Accused took witness to his 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 statement 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 awn accord to Detective Hunt. The money was buried. I wish to thank Detective Hunt for the kind and courteous manner he has shown to ma and am only too 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 cash was all in notes and amounted to £3220 10/." Plea of Guilty. Accused pleaded guilty, and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. Mr. Hall Skelton said that accused had been under medical attention for some time, and asked that he be not brought up for sentence before Monday week, as it was desired to obtain a report from medical experts as to his condition. The Court intimated that he would not be sentenced before that date.