HOLTON SENTENCED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 37, 13 February 1934, Page 8

HOLTON SENTENCED.

TWO YEARS' DETENTION. THEFT FE'OM COMPANY. "The gravity of the offence is that you were in a position of trust, guarding the property for the creditors of the company in liquidation, and for the shareholders, and you proceeded to use the chattels for your own benefit," said Mr. Justice Herdman, at the Supreme Court this morning, when George Richard Holton came before liim for sentence. He had been found guilty of the theft of machinery, valued at £84. : >, and had pleaded guilty to fraudulently failing to account for two sums of money of £10 each. Mr. Schramm, for the prisoner, stressed the latter's previous good record. The trouble arose, he said, when the company for which Holton was employed, Holton a Electroplating Works, Ltd., went into liquidation. Counsel asked his Honor to take into account that, however short the sentence might be, it would be severe to a man in prisoner's position. He aged '48, and had a wife and six children. It was a sad ease, for prisoner had a reputation for honesty in the business community. His Honor said that prisoner was wise to take his counsel's advice to plead guilty at the second trial, after the jury had disagreed at the first. That saved him from going into the witness-box again and telling a story which his Honor did not believe. But for the integrity of the workmen the liquidator would not have found . out about the offences. He must view tlie case as a breach of trust by a highlyplaccd servant. Prisoner's age and tlie fact that he had not been before the Court before, would be taken into consideration. His Honor imposed a sentence of two years' reformative detention.