FALSE PRETENCES CHARGES

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 26944, 21 January 1953, Page 5

FALSE PRETENCES CHARGES

TOTAL OF £139/19/1 OBTAINED TWO ACCUSED’ REMANDED FOR SENTENCE Charges that they had fraudulently obtained goods and money to a total value of £139 19s Id by falsely representing that cheques they had cashed in Christchurch on December 29, and in Invercargill on December 31, were good and valid orders, were brought jointly against James Eugene McCabe, aged 21. a woolshed hand, of no fixed abode (Mr D. J. Hewitt), and Eugene Gerald Ringdahl, aged 19, a motor driver, of Christchurch (Mr W. R. Lascelles), in the Magistrate’s Court at Christchurch yesterday. The Magistrate (Mr Raymond Ferner, S.M.) remanded the accused to January 27 for sentence. Both pleaded guilty to all charges. Ringdahl was further charged with false pretences in that he attempted to obtain goods and money from Harold Duncun Moreton at Christchurch on November 27 by falsely representing that a cheque for £l2, drawn on the National Bank of New Zealand in the name of Alfred Wilson and signed “C. N. Page’’ was a good and valid order. He pleaded guilty. Counsel delayed their submissions until the accused appeared for sentence. A book of cheques of the National Bank of New Zealand was found in the street by Ringdahl about November 26. said Detective-Sergeant A. B. Tate, who prosecuted. On December 29 both accused cashed four cheques in Christchurch and then went to Invercargill where, on December 31, they cashed four more cheques. The charges relating to Christchurch were that the accused, on December 29. by false pretences, obtained clothing valued at £8 4s 5d and £4 Os 4d in money from Laurie Noonan, shoes valued at £5 19s 6d and £6 4s lid in money, the property of Lakes Shoe Stores, a wrist watch Valued at £3 17s 6d and £8 7s in money from Westende Jewellers, Ltd., and clothing valued at £6 9s lid and £5 14s 10d in monev from Laurie Noonan.

The charges relating to Invercargill were that on December 31 the accused obtained, by false pretences, from McNeil and Clark clothing valued at £7 9s lid and £l2 15s 9d in money, clothing valued at £9 14s and £l6 Ils in money, the property of W. George and Sons, Ltd., clothing valued at £9 7s 6d and £l4 17s 6d in money, the property of McLennan and Wilsonby, and from W. G. McKnight, Lid., clothing valued at £5 14s and Jtl4 Ils in money. Detective-Sergeant Tate said that the accused had shared the money and the clothing and accepted equal responsibility for the offences. The goods purchased had all been used, but he asked that an order for their return be made.