COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22080, 30 April 1937, Page 19

COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE

FORMER TOWN CLERK AT GERALDINE

THEFT OF BOROUGH COUNCIL MONEY ADMITTED

[THE PKESS Special Setvlce.l TIMARU, April 29. After two witnesses had given evidence against him, Lionel Franks Grimstone, formerly Town Clerk at Geraldine, pleaded guilty in the Magistrate's Court at Timaru to-day, before Mr H. Morgan, S.M., to charges of having stolen, at Geraldine, on or about February 3. 1937, and between Sat datfand April 2. 1937, the sums of £206 19s lOd, the property of the Geraldine Borough Council. Mr L. M. Ingiis appeared for the accused, who had given himself the Fatea police, and had been brought to Timaru for the case to be heard. Adam Sounness Hamilton, Government Audit Inspector at Christchurch, gave evidence that he conducted an investigation of the books of the Geraldine Borough Council and found a cash shortage of £206 19s lOd. made up as follows:—Short bankings £lB2 18s, heavy traffic license fee £2 lis, wage tax not affixed £2 12s 6d. petty cash £1 17s 3d, cash received on April 1, less £3 18s. accounted for, £lB 19s Id. dangerous goods license £2. Detective E. Thomas said that on April 21 accused gave himself up at Patea to the police and made a statement admitting that he had taken the money. The statement said that accused began his duties with the Geraldine Borough Council on November 1, 1935 before which he was employed as Town Clerk by the Motueka Borough Council and the Upper Hutt Borough Council for three and a half years and six years respectively. While at Geraldine. he began to steal money paid to the council for rates, besides other money, giving receipts to the persons concerned in each case. The money was all stolen during the last month with the object of Daying creditors, who were pressing him for £2O, and of returning to his family in Wellington. His salary was £270 a year, of which he was paying his wife £lO monthly. He had three children, the youngest of whom was 17 years of age. When he left Geraldine, he intended to borrow money, with which to repay what he owed, and return. He was unable to do so. and had accordingly given himself up to the police. The accused was committed for sentence at the sitting of the Supreme Court at Timaru next week.