"EXPENSIVE TASTES"

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 151, 28 June 1945, Page 7

"EXPENSIVE TASTES"

YOUNG MAN'S LAPSE

POST OFFICE. MONEY TAKEN

"The probation officer says he has rather expensive tastes, on which he spent the money. What expensive tastes did he. indulge in in a place like Kennedy Bay?"

This query was put by Mr. Justice Fair in the Supreme Court today, when Sam Potae (22), a Maori, came up for sentence on charges of forgery and theft in the handling of Post Office funds at Kennedy Bay, in the Thames district.

Mr. Dickson, who made a plea for probation, informed his Honor that Potae said his tastes referred to as expensive were love of attending dances and wearing good clothes. Counsel said Potae's elderly father was the postmaster at this small place, but on account of his failing eyesight the accused did all the work and drew the remuneration of £4 17/10 a month.

His Honor: What other work did he do?

Counsel said Potae kept house for his father. His character hitherto had been unblemished, and the district tribe was endeavouring to get the money to make restitution.

His Honor said the theft of money entrusted to the Post Office was a serious offence, and in the course of six months Potae had taken sums totalling between £150 and £200. It showed a weakness in his character requiring correction, and a spell of steady work was needed to remind him that money spent on pleasure had to be earned by honest work. He would be committed to prison for reformative detention for a period of twelve months. Another prisoner from the Thames district, Douglas Vincent Ward (23) had admitted the offence of housebreaking. His Honor remarked that Ward had previous convictions. Apparently, in this case he had left work, gone for a holiday, and then, when short of money, had broken into a house. He would be committed to prison for nine months' reformative detention.