READY TO SAIL

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 231, 1 October 1935, Page 9

READY TO SAIL

arrest on wharf.

alleged bank fraud

M,OTHER AND SON CHARGED.

SUM OF £4550 INVOLVED

The movements of a mother and son, the cashing of cheques for a total amount of £4550, and the booking of passages to Sydney were detailed by numerous witnesses called by the police during the adjourned hearing of the charges against Laul Edward Din, or Dean, aged 23, and Madeline Elizabeth Din, or Dean, aged 44, at the Police Court to-day.

The accused are mother and son, and flic son, a former employee .of the Post. Office Savings Bank at Auckland, is chan'ed on three counts of false pretences, with obtaining a total sum oE 14550. He is also charged on three counts with the forging of withdrawal »lips. The woman is joined with her ion on the chargc of obtaining £1850 by a false pretence. The charges are being heard before Messrs L. S. Rickcrby and H. T. King, J.P.'s, Senior-Detective Hare and Detective-Sergeant Walsh are conducting the case for the policc, Mr. Kingston is counsel for Laul Edward Din, °and Mr. Edge appears for Madeline Elizabeth Din.

The bench made an order suppressing the names, addresses and occupations of depositors, and all reference to the Post Office Savings Bank's business methods.

In the cvidcncc this morning James percival Rowe, a clerk in the Tost Office Savings Bank, said the withdrawal slip for £900 produced was presented to him on July 12 and he issued a cheque for the amount. He could not remember who presented the slip. He knew the accused, who when employed at the Tost Office Savings Bank would have access to the ledgers withdrawal slips protectograph and would know the signatures of the ledger-keepers. Evidence that the male accused had purchased a ticket for the Marama, sailing for Sydney on July 26, was given by Edgar Clyde Evans, a clerk in the Union Steam Ship Co. The ticket was used by someone. It was taken ou 5n the name of L. E. Din. Witness remembered a "Mrs. Brown" purchasin * tickct by the same steamer. She said the was a sister of the male accused. Draft for £500 Purchased. it g -r Wri"ht, clerk at the Norman b. o. wri o uu, -Rank Karangahapc Eoad branch of thei BanK of New South Wales, saiu that on Ju y n the -ale accused purchased a draft for £500 on the firm's bank at Mel bourne. Aceuscd, who gave the name of "L: Vcdene," paid 100 £5 notes. Albert W. Adams, clerk at the Bank of Australasia, Auckland, said on July 12 the male accused purchased, a dratt on the firm's bank at Sydney for £300, paying the amount in £5 notes. The teller at the P.O. Savings Bank who had received the withdrawal slips for £1800 and £1850 and had paid the amounts by cheque said that the pass books produced in Court, and which were those of the depositors whose accounts Lad been operated upon, were not the pass books that had been presented with the withdrawal slips when the money was withdrawn. Had the pass books been the genuine ones there would have been an entry recording the withdrawal, also the date stamp and the initials of the teller.

Accounts Opened. < Leslie C. B. Dewar, chief clerk in the National Bank of New Zealand at , Auckland, said that on April 2 the male accused opened a current account at witness' bank. Accused deposited £1000 in £5 notes, and also placed £000 on fixed deposit. He gave the name of . "Laurence E. Dunn." Since then various cheques drawn by accused on his account had been met and the account was exhausted. Gordon W. Ross, clerk in the Auckland Savings Bank, said on April 3 an account was opened by "Laurence Dunn for £200 by a cheque drawn on the National Bank of New Zealand. On April 27 a withdrawal of £109 19/ was made. On April san account was opened for £200 by John Benjamin Ryan by a cheque drawn oil the National Bank of New Zealand. 1 lie account was closed when tw*o withdrawals, one for £20 on April 15 and another for £180 on April 17, were made. Arrested on Wharf. Detective Neville Robinson said on August 3 at Wellington lie saw the male accused on the Queen's wharf, accompanied by liis sister Onyx. The | Wanganella was leaving for Sydney that day. Witness accosted the male accused, who said his name was Din. They were then joined by the female accused and her daughter Myra. Witness! told Din that £1850 had been obtained from the P.O. at Auckland by means of a forged withdrawal slip. The two accused and the two girls were hooked to leave for Sydney by the Wanganella under the name of "Vedene." Din had in his possession £700 in £50 notes. Also in Din's possession was a bank draft issued by the Bank of Australasia on July 17 for .£3lO 10/ made payable to Laurence Din, Sydney, and another bank draft issued by the Bank of New South Wales, Karangaliape Road, Auckland, for £502 10/, payable to L. Vedene. Accused also possessed a lodgment slip on tho Bank of New Zealand, Wellington, dated August 2, 1935, for an amount of £150 15/ to the credit of Miss Olive Lawrence. There was another lodgment slip on the same bank for the sum of £502 10/ to tile credit of Lewis Lawrence at Sydney. Bank Passbooks. A bank passbook in the name of Laurence Edward Din, Auckland, was found on the male accused. It showed that a deposit of £300 was made on July 11, and two days later £300 was withdrawn and a deposit of 1/ made. A bank passbook also found in accused« possession showed a deposit of £200 on April 3, and on April 25 £199 19/ withdrawn. There was also an advice from S C Wooler, Christchurch, stating that at a meeting of the directors it was decided to allot to Laurence E. Dean 1200 fully paid preference shares in accordance with the application made. (Proceeding.)