RACE TICKETS FORGED

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27584, 15 February 1955, Page 7

RACE TICKETS FORGED

MAN COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE BROKE INTO AUCKLAND T.A.B. AGENCY (New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, February 14. How a forger broke into the Auckland Royal Oak agency of the Totalisator Agency Board after a race meeting and made out tickets on winning horses, to be presented later for payment, was described today in the Auckland Magistrate’s Court. Earle Frederick Dodds, aged 39, a machinist, admitted three charges of forgery, and one each of attempted theft, uttering, and breaking and entering. Mr M. C. Astley, S.M., was told that Dodds was already awaiting sentence of preventive detention by the Supreme Court on 19 charges involving breaking and entering. Accordingly, he also committed the accused to the Supreme Court for sentence. Detective-Sergeant M. J. Ross said that Dodds broke into the T.AJB. building on an evening last November and had a look round to see “the setup.” Two nights later he returned, and wrote out nine sets of tickets on Canterbury races held that day. The first six tickets were practice efforts, and Dodds screwed them up and threw them in a waste-paper basket. The last three were tickets for wins of £7 7s, £67 2s 6d, and £l2O 7s 6d. Dodds

kept the originals, placed the depulicates in sorting boxes, and ripped out the triplicate copies and threw them away. ttese means accused made the tickets out after the races had been run and was backing the proverbial Po S t g lnty ' sald Detective-Sergeant The manager of the branch discovered the forgeries, and the staff was alerted. If cashed, the tickets were worth £194 17s. Two days later a man presented the £l2O ticket. He was told to wait for the money to arrive from Auckland, but became suspicious and left. Dodds was interviewed by Detec-tive-Sergeant D. J. Dwan early this month, and frankly admitted the offences, said Detective-Sergeant Ross. The accused had a long list of convictions, he said, some involving similar offences concerning totalisator tickets. He had since been committed from the Hamilton Magistrate’s Court for sentence at the Auckland Supreme Court. Dodds told the Court he had nothing to say.