Man Arrested For Fraud While Boarding Overseas Airways Bus

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27874, 24 January 1956, Page 8

Man Arrested For Fraud While Boarding Overseas Airways Bus

MAGISTRATES COURT

A man who began a series of false pretences at Auckland on December 28 and was arrested in Christchurch when he was boarding a bus for the Harewood airport to catch a plane for Sydney, pleaded guilty m the Magistrate’s Court yesterday to 13 charges of obtaining money and goods to a total of £196 15s 3d by means of valueless cheques and of attempting to obtain credit for £6B by fraud. He was Alexander Dingwell Thompson Campbell, aged 53, a papermaker. Mr Raymond Ferner, S.M., remanded Campbell in custody to January 30 for sentence and for a report by the Probation Officer.

Senior-Detective J. B. McLean said that Campbell had a cheque book which the bank records showed had been issued to a man named Stafford, and which Campbell admitted having stolen from a room in a boardinghouse in Auckland. On December 28 Campbell bought two watches and a pair of shoes in Auckland with valueless cheques. He then went to Wellington and on December 30 he bought two watches and a camera there, again using valueless cheques. He went to Napier and on four successive days he obtained money by paying for meals with valueless cheques. He returned to Wellington on January 6 and bought a watch and a suitcase with valueless cheques. Campbell came to Christchurch and on January 9 he went to the office of Tasman Empire Airways, Ltd., where he booked a return passage to Sydney By a plane leaving that day, said Senior-Detective McLean. Campbell asked if he could pay by cheque and the booking clerk said he could. Campbell handed in a cheque for £6B. The company immediately took steps to clear the cheque and it was found to be valueless. The police were notified and Campbell was arrested as he was boarding a bus for Harewood airport. He had a new watch and inquiries showed that it had been obtained from Watsons Jewellers, Ltd., in Christchurch, by means of a valueless cheque. The watch was valued at £35. Campbell was wearing the shoes he had obtained in Auckland by means of a valueless cheque. Senior-Detective McLean said that Campbell had one previous conviction. This was for false pretences, for which he had been admitted to probation. He was on probation when the present series of offences was committed. He had a British passport which he used to identify himself when presenting the cheques. WOMAN SENT TO PRISON Stella Walsh, aged 53, a widow (Mr J. B. Weir), pleaded guilty to a charge that on January 9 she stole a suitcase and its contents valued at £l5, the property of Leslie Cranston McCormick. She was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment. Sub-Inspector C. H. Reardon said that McCormick hired a taxi at the Christchurch railway station to take him to Horsley street. His luggage was put on the carrier and when he arrived at his destination a suitcase was missing. He advertised his loss and was told that Walsh had been seen picking up the suitcase from the road and examining the contents. Constable Flanagan interviewed Walsh and she admitted picking up the suitcase but said she had no idea what happened to

|it afterwards. Sub-Inspector Rearden said that Walsh had a police history. | Mr Weir said that Walsh said she i had left the suitcase in a store at Sydenham but her recollection must be faulty for the suitcase was not there. “Walsh, you have quite a record for this sort of thing,” said the Magistrate. FALSE STATEMENT MADE Rachel Hudson, aged 61, a machinist (Mr G. V. Dallison), pleaded guilty to two charges of making a false statement to an officer of the Social Security Department for the purpose of obtaining a renewal of a widow’s benefit. The case was adjourned to January 30 for sentence and a report by the Probation Officer. Senior-Detective J. B. McLean said that Hudson had been receiving a widow’s benefit since the death of her husband in 1946. Last December the department learned that she had been working full time in a factory though her last two applications for renewal of the benefit stated that she had no income. She had been overpaid a total of £126 in the two years. When interviewed in December she denied that she was employed but later she went to the department office and admitted that she had been working. She said she would do her best to pay back the money. Mr Dallison said that Hudson had a major operation two years ago. She was neurotic and almost hysterical. She thought that,if she did not earn more than £7B a year she did not have to disclose her earnings. She had brought up a family of six. An application for suppression of her name was refused. THEFT OF SAW Roy Victor Saunders, a labourer (Mr L. G. Holder), pleaded guilty to a charge that on October 19, 1955, at Seddon, he stole a saw valued at £l, the property of Duncan MacGregor Campbell. He was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence within 12 months if called upon. Mr Holder said that Saunders had been employed on a station near Seddcn and when he left he put tools including the saw in his car. It was the wrong saw, for he left his own behind. When he was questioned by the police he foolishly denied having the saw. His own saw was still at the station. FOUND DRUNK James Terrance Kenny, aged 54, a slaughterman, pleaded guilty to being found drunk in Polson street on January 22, having been twice perviously convicted of a similar offence within the last six months. He was fined £5 in default seven days’ imprisonment. Frank Noel Hood, aged 38, a clerk, was fined £2 on a charge of being found drunk in Hereford street on January 21, having been once previously, convicted of a similar offence within the last six months. DISORDERLY BEHAVIOUR

Donald Halliday, aged 67, a pensioner, pleaded guilty to charges that on January 21, he behaved in a disorderly manner in Manchester street while drunk and that he used obscene language. He was sentenced, to seven days’ imprisonment on each charge. .Sub-Inspector C._ H. Reardon said that Constable Malabar advised Hallia tO a get on a bus and 8° home about 4 p.m. on January 21 because Halliday was affected by liquor. Halliday did not take the advice and when the constable spoke to him later, he became aggressive and noisy. The constable was putting him in a police car when Halliday used the obscene language. BREACH OF PROBATION

David Danton, aged 57, a labourer, was fined £2 for committing a breach of the terms of his probation by failing to report as directed. CHARGE DISMISSED Richard Frank Savage, aged 26, a carpenter (Mr H. S. Thomas), pleaded not guilty to a charge that on DecemP er 22, 1955, he drove a motor-car m New Regent street, while he was under the influence of drink. He pleaded guilty to failing to hand over the keys of the car to a traffic officer when requested to do so. The first charge was dismissed. Savage was fined £5 on the second charge. Senior Patrol Officer L. F. Smith, of the Christchurch City Council traffic department, said that Savage drove erratically along Armagh street and into New Regent street where witness stopped him. Savage refused to hand over the keys of the car. Witness considered he was under the influence of drink and arrested him. He took him to the Central Police Station, where he was examined by Dr. Scott 55 minutes later. Traffic Officer C. G. Frew gave supporting evidence. Sergeant E. Morrissey said he saw Savage at the police station and formed the opinion that he was not fit to drive a car b(it he was definitely not a bad case.

Constable B. L. Stapely gave similar evidence.

Sub-Inspector C. H. Reardon handed in the certificate from Dr. F. L. Scott, which was in favour of Savage. Mr Thomas submitted that there was no case to answer on the driving charge. Savage was quick tempered and stood on his rights, as he thought, when he was wrongly accused by the traffic officer. Dr. Scott’s certificate was in his favour and some of the symptoms ascribed to him by witnesses were natural to him.

The Magistrate said he would not call on the defence to proceed as the evidence for the prosecution would not result in a conviction on the driving charge. The traffic officers had acted rightly in arresting Savage. He had little sympathy with Savage. He had been offensive and rude and had only himself to blame for the position in which he now found himself. REMANDED Lois Askew, aged 59 (Mr J. A. Bretherton), was remanded on bail to January 30, on a charge that on December 13 she stole a bottle of disinfectant valued at 4s 3d, the property of E. Reece, Ltd. (Before Mr Rex C. Abernethy, S.M.) , YOUNG WOMAN SENTENCED Ngaire Hayman, aged 19, a factory hand (Mr B. S. McLaughlin), appeared for sentence on a charge that in incurring a debt for 5s for a meal she obtained credit by fraild. The Probation Officer (Miss A. R. Craven) asked that Hayman be dealt with on charges of causing wilful damage and being idle and disorderly on which she was convicted on January 13, 1955, and admitted to probation. Hayman was sentenced to seven days’ imprisonment on the charge of obtaining credit by fraud, and two months’ imprisonment on each of the two original charges, all the sentences to be concurrent —a total of two months in prison. The Magistrate sdid he knew Hayman’s background but she was not at the stage where she was living her own life. If she would not respond to probation the Court was compelled to subject her to discipline. If he felt that there was a reasonable chance of her behaving herself on probation, he would give her another opportunity, but she had broken the terms of her probation and gone back to people who were no good to her. This left him no other course but to sentence her to a short term in prison.