NO PROBATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 100, 1 May 1933, Page 3

NO PROBATION.

■ ■ YOUNG MAN'S THEFTS. POSTAL REGULATIONS. CHEQUES FOR MONEY ORDERS "The probation officer has recommended probation, but I have come to the conclusion I cannot accede to that recommendation. Public interest is paramount," eaid his Honor Mr. Justice Smith at the Supreme Court this morning, when Alexander John McNamara appeared for sentence on six charges of theft as a postal servant at Otorohanga. The amount misappropriated by McNamara was £190. Mr. G. P. Finlay, for the prisoner, eaid that although the amount involved in the charges was £197, actually only a small proportion of that sum had been misappropriated. Not any of the money taken by McNamara had been used for his own ends. He had admittedly committed a breach of the postal regulations, and it was to cover up the breach that he took the money. Prisoner was employed at the post office at Otorohanga. There was a definite regulation that money orders and the like must be paid for in cash, but in February and March McNamara had taken from farmers and others cheques in payment for money orderr. The cheques could not be forwarded to the State Advances Department, and when some had been dishonoured the prisoner had taken the money to meet the payments on the cheques. "Misappropriation." His Honor: The prisoner received money from farmers as payments of instalments of interest and principal on mortgages, and he .misappropriated the money. Mr. Finlay: He took cheques in payment for money-orders. Farmers paid in cheques, which were not met, and it was to meet these cheques and make the payments to the State Advances that McNamara took the money. His Honor: He received the money, and the State Advances subsequently made another demand for payment. On this it looks perfectly plain that he misappropriated the money. Mr. Finlay: He sold money-orders to other people who were not farmers. Cheques he took were dishonoured, and he then took the money to satisfy the debts to the Department. This young man has had a very creditable record, and there is much to be said in asking for a considerable measure of leniency in this case compared with most cases which come before the Court. Previous Character Good. His Honor said that the prisoner had pleaded guilty to six charges. Between January 31 and March 29 he had taken money paid in by farmers in repayment of interest and principal to the State Advances Department. In addition to the £190 there was about £6 not accounted for. In the absence of any acceptable explanation his Honor said he could only assume that the prisoner was guilty of dishonesty throughout. The prisoner was a young man, 33 years of age, with one child. He had no previous convictions, and except for the present offences his character had been good. "I would not be surprised if betting had something to do with the offences you have committed," said his Honor. "You must suffer for your offences, as the public interests require to be protected. I cannot accede to the probation officer's recommendation to admit you to probation. You will be sentenced to reformative detention for a period not exceeding 18 months."