THEFT OF £100.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 253, 26 October 1933, Page 11

THEFT OF £100.

HOSPITAL PATIENTS LOSS.

JURY RECOMMENDS MERCY.

The theft of the sum- of £100, an order for which he was given to draw from the bank by a fellow patient of the Auckland Hospital, was preferred against Hugh Glasson McCreadv before Mr. , Justice Herdman, in the Supreme Court yesterday. Mr. Meredith appeared for the Crown, and Mr. Noble for the accused. Henry Clifford Mclntyre, in evidence, stated that .he was a seaman living at Onehunga, and was a patient at the Auckland Hospital, where McCready was also a patient in the same ward. He tokl McCready that he had £100 in the Public Trust, and would draw it as soon as he got out of hospital. McCready offered to draw it, and witness' gave him an order on September' 26. He also gave him--£l to buy a wallet. Accused did not return to the hospital, and witness reported the matter to the police. Money Paid Over. , Leonard Barclay, cashier at the Public Trust Office, testified to having paid the money over to accused in the form of a cheque, and .Tames W. Penny, teller of the Bank of New Zealand, stated that he cashed the cheque for McCready, giving him sixteen £5 notes and twenty £1 notes. Francis R. Henry, police constable, said that when he interviewed accused on September 20, the latter said hp had intended taking the money, back to Mcfntyre, but had gone to various hotels drinking. He had only 5d left. Witness added that McCready could not say definitely how he spent so much money so quickly. Though he was not definite, accused thought lie had spent it on liquor, treating different people, and in riding about in taxis. Accused had rung the police and asked them to send some one to him. Accused in Witness Box. Accused, in evidence, said that he was a patient in the hospital with head and neck trouble. When ho left with the order to collect the money, he had £3 10/ of his own. He was also given £1 by Mclntyre to buy a wallet. His Honor: Did you buy the wallet ?— No. I spent it. n After collecting the money, accused added, he did not. feel well and'went into an hotel lounge to have a drink. There two women, one named Nellie, spoke to him, alid after buying drinks from his own money, he left the hotel in their company. Later .yrhen he realised that tho money was gone, he rang the police. He could not say where the money had gone. On behalf of the accused, Mr. Noble said that as lie was in hospital for head treatment it might well be expected that drink would affect him. Mr. Meredith contended - that even if the money had been spent in riotous living it was still theft. After a short retirement the jury returned a verdict of guilty with a recommendation to mercy on account of the state of accused's health. Sentence was deferred.