THEFTS OF MONEY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 148, 25 June 1935, Page 9

THEFTS OF MONEY.

AN AUCKLAND CLERK.

UNUSUAL STORY IN COURT.

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

CHRISTCHURCH, this day.

A story of how a man left his home in Auckland to go on a week-end fishing trip and finally found himself at Timaru was told before Mr. E. C. Levvey, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court to-day, when John Daintry Campbell Birch, aged 37, described as a clerk, of t Monaghaq Avenue, Auckland, was charged with obtaining sums totalling £10 and with failinrr to pay them to Muriel Wallace, therey committing ' theft. He pleaded •ruilty. - , . The police said the complainant was a milk vendor, who had employed the accused to collect accounts, but In March last accused went off on complainants bicvcle one day and failed to retuin. Counsel said the accused was married. Hip position in Auckland was a good one He had left his home there in March to.go fishing, and eventually reached Christchurch. He had then no recollection of his past history. Later his wife reported him as pissing. It was not until he was in timaru that lie came to himself. Counsel su ested that the whole of the circumstances were due to his lapse of memory. Accused was convicted and ordered to pome UP for sentence when called upon and to make restitution within 14 days. Alter listening to counsel the magistrate in passing sentence, said the Courts had to do all they could to he.p in such cases.