GOT INTO DEBT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 278, 24 November 1938, Page 12

GOT INTO DEBT.

..SHORTAGE OF £375. SALESMAN'S ADMISSIONS. COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE. Pleading guilty to two charges of fraudulently failing to account for a total sum of £375 14/, Robert James Linkston, salesman, aged 53, married, was to-day committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. Accused appeared before Mr. C. R. Orr Walker, S.M., and wa? represented by Mr. P. W. Schramm, Detective-Sergeant Nalder prosecuting. Alfred O. Wilkinson, public accountant, Raid accused was employed as branch manager at Auckland of Hay*. Limited, Christchurch. His salary when first appointed was £5 a week and commission on vacuum machines .sold. Later his salary was increased to £( and commission. On November 5 witness interviewed accused, who was quite frank and admitted receiving £375 14/. including an office cash shortage of £24 18/, which he had not accounted to his firm for. Accused prepared a list of the shortages for witness.

Detective T. Allsop said he interviewed accused on November 7. Accused admitted that the list of defalcations shown him by was correct. Accused made a signed statement, in which he said in July last he was receiving £7 a week and commission. Owing to the cost of living and the high running expenses of the car in connection with the business, he got into debt. He held over certain payments received from the sale of machines which he should have accounted for to the firm. The total amount of the shortage was £375 14/, which included a cash shortage in the office of £24 18/. The whole of the money had been spent and he was not in a position to mak« a refund of the shortages.