FORGERY AND THEFT.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20916, 25 July 1933, Page 15

FORGERY AND THEFT.

MAN AND WIFE PLEAD GUILTY. AUCKLAND SAVINGS BANK DEFRAUDED. (mess ASSOCIATION TBLIGHAJt.) AUCKLAND, July 24. The theft of £2Ol 10s by a bank clerk and a plan to steal £728 13s were described before Mr F. K. Hunt, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court to-day, when Jack Eric Robinson, aged 22, and his wife, Kathleen Marjorie Robinson, aged 21, appeared on a number of charges. Accused were arrested recently at Gisborne. Robinson was charged with stealing £2Ol 10s, the property of the Auckland Savings Bank, on June 28, 1932, and with attempting to steal £728 13s, the property of the Savings Bank, on October 4, 1932. His wife was charged with aiding and abetting him in the commission of the offence of attempted theft. Both were charged with the forgery of a letter addressed to the manager of the Bank of New Zealand, Symonds street, one addressed to the manager of the Dominion road branch of the Auckland Savings Bank, and one purporting to be signed by an elderly widow. The Evidence. The manager of a suburban branch of the bank said that Robinson had access to all records and specimen signatures. On June 28,1932, a man presented a withdrawal slip for £2Ol 10s from the account of a depositor named Alexander. Last April it was discovered that Alexander had not authorised the drawing of the money and that the passbook presented by the man was one obtained from stock and written up to appear that it was a new book issued to Alexander. When questioned accused denied all knowledge of the theft and repeated his denial when arrested on July 8, but 10 days later, at the Magistrate's Court, he said that he would be pleading guilty to the charge concerning the £2Ol 10s. Detective-Sergeant Doyle gave particulars of an interview with the accused at Gisborne. Robinson said that he knew of the theft from Alexander's account and he was a party to the offence. Robinson was interviewed further about letters purporting to come from an elderly woman with an account at the Dominion road bank. Witness continued that Robinson said he used influence on his wife, who was single at the time, to get her to write the letters. "I used extreme persuasion to make her do it, as a primary move in placing the money in the account under my control," Robinson said in a statement read by Mr Doyle: "I could immediately See by the action of the teller and the staff of the Bank of New Zealand that the plan had miscarried." Witness added that the female accused, when interviewed about the account in the name of the elderly woman, said: "1 opened the account and I will tell the truth about it, for I do not want Robbie to get into trouble." She stated that she took no part in obtaining the £2Ol 10s from Alexander's account. Mrs Robinson stated further that she was married on November 25, continued witness. When the account was opened the two accused were contemplating marriage. "We were without money." Mrs Robinson said. "My husband and I decided that if we succeeded in getting this money we would get married and use it to get a home. I suggested leaving New Zealand when we got the money." Guilt Admitted. Both the accused pleaded guilty and were committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. Robinson was refused bail, but the female accused was allowed bail of £SO.