TRUST BETRAYED

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 215, 11 September 1944, Page 6

TRUST BETRAYED

SEAMAN'S LAPSE MONEY LOST IN GAMBLING The story of how a man who had previously lived an unblemished life succumbed to a sudden temptation was told by Mr. Hubble to Mr. Justice Callan to-day on behalf of a seaman, John Henry Wilson, aged 33, who came up for sentence for the theft of 2000 dollars and certain articles entrusted to him by a woman in Noumea to bring to her daughter in New Zealand. Counsel pointed out that after some years in a humble office in ships' engine rooms Wilscn, a married man with one child, got a position in the American transport service which gave him commissioned rank and pay (in dollars) which amounted to about £130 a month. Previously his pay had been £30 a month. The rise to higher pay and entry to a social plane in Noumea took him into a life with which he was unfamiliar, proceeded counsel. Not only the people who gave him the 2000 dollars, but others, wanted him to take money to New Zealand, apparently a difficult matter these days. Having suddenly entered social life where he was introduced to drinking and gambling by highlypaid persons in a degree to which he was unaccustomed, Wilson was carried away and used the money to pay gambling debts. Wilson had no money now, but he could get work and he would assign an insurance endowment policy of £200 which had matured in England, as well as two life insurance policies. His pay as a fireman was £30 a month. The articles other than money had been recovered. His Honor saici he accepted the view that Wilson had not designedly got the confidence of the elderly couple in Noumea with the intention of betraying their trust to take the money and gocds to their daughter in New Zealand. Nevertheless, he had been guilty of a grave crime, and had inflicted a cruel injury on kindly people. Though a first offender, he would have been sent to gaol but for the difficulty that would be created by frustrating and delaying restitution. Repayment had to be considered first. Wilson had disgraced not only himself and his family, but he had disgraced also the British name and the name of ■New Zealand in Noumea, where this thing would be talked about. "Not only must these people get their money back, but they must have interest," added his Honor. He admitted Wilson to probation for five years, one condition being that he assign his insurance policies as security and repay the sum of £600, plus interest at 5 per cent, by instalments of £12 10/ a month. Another condition was that Wilson also pay the costs of the prosecution by instalments of £12 10/ a month. At the request of his Honor, Mr. G. S. R. Meredith, for the Crown, undertook to have -the couple in Noumea informed of the arrangement made for the eventual restoration of their money.