CHARGE OF FALSE PRETENCES

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25250, 31 July 1947, Page 3

CHARGE OF FALSE PRETENCES

MAN REMANDED FOR SENTENCE

VALUELESS CHEQUE IN PAYMENT FOR CAR

A plea of not guilty was made by Faithful Charles Meikle, aged 34, a lorrydriver, when he appeared before Mr Justice Fleming in the Supreme Court yesterday on a charge that with intent to defraud he obtained a car valued at £ll5 by falsely representing that a cheque drawn by him for £ll5 was a good and valid one. Mr A. T. Donnelly appeared for the Crown and Mr D. J. Hewitt for the accused. Douglas Arthur Brewer, garage proprietor, said that Meikle bought a car from him for £ll5. 'Or. June 23 Meikle gave witness a cheque for that amount and asked that it be held for a day or two as he would not have enough money to meet the cheque until he sold some packs. The bank returned the cheque marked "no account.”. The car was recovered, but two tyres were damaged.

To Mr Hewitt the witness said Meikle told him he wanted the car to start on his own, buying sacks. Meikle did say he wanted to get more money into his bank. Meikle did not get any documents of ownership because these were not handed over to a purchaser until the cheque was cleared. Meikle did not return- later and say the deal was off because he could not get any sacks. The cheque was dated June 25. The car was sent back.

To his Honour: At the start, Meikle talked about buying the car on time payment. He changed his mind and said he would get the money to pay for the car. Meikle said fie had some money in the bank and, when he got paid for the sacks he had, he would have more money in the bank. No Funds Dudley Jarvis Whitehead, accountant at the Bank of New Zealand, Sydenham, said there were no funds to meet Meikle’s cheque. Meikle had no account with the bank. He had had an account a year before, but Meikle was notified to close that account and return the cheque forms. At that time there was £1 Is lOd tn Meikle’s account. That was in April, 1946. Acting-Detective T. Thomson said he interviewed the accused in the presence of his solicitor. Accused said he had received the letters from the bank asking him to close his account. Accused said he was going into the country to collect 3000 sacks to sell. To Mr Hewitt: Accused said he had a wife and eight children and thought he could make money by collecting sacks and selling them. He also said Brewer made him (Meikle) give Brewer the cheque. Meikle also said the whole thing was a "frame-up.” Detective R. S. Smith corroborated the evidence given by Acting-Detective Thomson. No evidence was .called for the defence. Mr Hewitt, in his address to the jury, said the jury must be satisfied that the accused had a guilty mind and intended to defraud Brewer. The cheque waS banked on June 24 though it was dated June 25. Meikle never got the registration papers for the car, and the transaction was not complete. There* was a doubt about the whole thing. Brewer knew Meikle’s position and was not deceived. After his Honour had summed up the jury retired at 11.20 a.m. and returned at 12.10 p.m. with a verdict of guilty, with a recommendation that the .Court extend leniency towards the prisoner on account of his wife and children.

“I will note your recommendation,” said'his Honour. "The prisoner will be remanded for sentence.”