Magistrate’s Court 18 Months’ Gaol For False Pretences

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28346, 3 August 1957, Page 2

Magistrate’s Court 18 Months’ Gaol For False Pretences

Eighteen months* imprisonment was imposed on Thomas Harvey Grenfell, aged 32, a truck driver, when he appeared in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday for sentence on 11 charges of false pretences. On each of 10 charges of false pretences, in that Le obtained money from elderly women pensioners by fraudulently representing that he was in a position to supply them with wood and coal, he was sentenced by Mr F. F. Reid, S.M., to three months’ imprisonment, the terms on the first four charges to be cumulative. On a charge of fraudulently obtaining £33 2s Id from Ford and Spicer, Ltd., by means of a false cheque, Grenfell was sentenced by :.Ir L. N. Ritchie, S.M., to six months’ imprisonment, to be cumulative on his other' sentences’. “Yoyr record is such that you are now eligible for preventive detention, and in sentencing you on these charges I cannot give lie to your previous record,” said Mr Reid to Grenfell. “You have a long list, although some of your offences, are minor ones. You were placed on probation a little over 18 months ago, yet you committed crimes during that period. ■ Obviously, probation is no use to you —it would not meet this particular case. »

“The sums of money you obtained were not large, but the method by which you obtained them was mean and despicable to a degree. You set out systematically to rob elderly widows. It is that particular meanness that leads me to the conviction that yo must be punished, and you cannot expect leniency from the Court for this type of offence,” the ’ "agistrate said. In sentencing Grenfell on the other charge, Mr Ritchie said that he had other convictions for theft, one for receiving stolen property, one for making a false statement, one for attempted false pretences, and 13 for false pretences. “You committed this serious false preter > while on probation,” said the Magistrate. “Further than thr*, it now appears you committed this particular offence whilst you were waiting to be dealt with on the 10 other charges of false pretences. It is simply serious. Had there not been these other offences, I would have sentenced you to imprisonment for one year. “You are liable for preventive detention,” the Magistrate said to Grenfell. “You are liable to be sent on to the Supreme Court for such sentence if you come before this Court again.” GAOL FOR ASSAULT

Leslie Desmond Turvey, aged 24, a workman, who appeared for sentence on a charge of assaulting Seddon Taylor Adam, a Transport Board bus driver, in Cathedral square on July 29, was sentenced to 14 days’ imprisonmeijt by Mr E. A. Lee, S.M Edward George Avery, aged 22, a shearer, who appeared for sentence on a similar charge, was ordered to pay Court costs and witnesses’ expenses only. “I accept what your counsel says, that this was not a particularly serious assault and with no serious results, but it was an assault, and an assault on a person charged with the responsibility of looking after the bus. In the face of your record, u is impossible to expend any leniency to you. You have to learn that assault does not pay,’ said the Magistrate to Turvey. Avery’s assault was purely a technical one—“perhaps some what luckily for you.” said the Magistrate, to Avery. (Before Mr Rex C. Abernethy. S.M.) TRAFFIC BREACHES In prosecutions brought by the police for breaches of the'Traffic

Regulations and the Transport Act, offenders were finqd as follows, costs being additional in each case:— Failing to give way: Davia Henry Lawson Brown, £3 (no warran of fitness, £3); Rogei Eric Lambton Burn, £4; James Henry Cqddmgton, £5; Margaret Elvie Dalton, £4; Roydon William Saunders, £3; Cecil Gilbert Shackel, £4 (no warrant of fitness, £2); William James Smylie £6; Louisa Mary Wilkinson, £•>■ Driving without due care and attention: William Longton Fleming, £3; James McGrath. £3. Using a motor-vehicle without due care and attention: William James Christopher Ashley, £d (no driver’s licence, £1); Assen Pileff, £3; Alfred Ernest Anthony. £1; Cyril Joseph Dudley, £3 (no warrant of fitness, £1); Hany Nicholas Scott Whitford, £3. (Before Mr L. N. Ritchie, S.M.) Attempting to cross railway line when not clear- George William Kfanhire, £2. Obstructing intersections: Marguerite Lucy Rhodes, £2.