FALSE PRETENCE AND THEFT

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23052, 21 June 1940, Page 14

FALSE PRETENCE AND THEFT

CONVICTION ON SEVEN CHARGES One charge of fraudulently obtaining a cheque for £B, and six charges of theft, involving £55, from A. H. Bristed, Avonside drive, were brought against Frederick Richard Close, in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Close, on each of the first three, charges, was sentenced to six months’/imprisonment with hard labour, sentences to be cumulative, and was convicted and discharged on the other charges. Accused was charged with obtaining the cheque from A. H. Bristed, ...by falsely representing that he was a dairy farmer at Bromley and that he wanted money to repair a separator. He was charged with stealing from Bristed £5 on October 11, £lO on December 1. £lO on December 8. £lO on January 1 (two charges), and £lO on January 2. He .pleaded guilty to all charges. / Mr E. C. Levvey, S.M., was on the Bench. Detective-Sergeant J. McClung said that Close had gone to Bristed for work, had been engaged for many days, but did few days’ work, 'and had obtained Bristed’s sympathy by misrepresenting his identity. He was ; not the owner of a farm at BromleyAfter he obtained a cheque from Bristed, Close returned and said his pocket had been picked. He was given another cheque and lost that, too." He took advantage of Bristed’s memory hot being as good as it might hav® been. Close had originally obtainefl Bristed’s sympathy by saying he was a brother of Woods, the man goren by a bull on the West Coast, and tnai.. his sister was on the verge of a mem* 1 breakdown. ,r On the accused’s claim that w® money had been spent on repairs Bristed’s property, a witness called mr the police said that Close had, m , weeks, done about one day’s pairums and spent about £1 on the paint.