£l0,000 THEFT CHARGE

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28552, 3 April 1958, Page 13

£l0,000 THEFT CHARGE

N.Z. Barrister In Australia (Rec. 9 p.m.) BRISBANE, April 2 A New Zealand barrister, Patrick Connolly Pearse McGavin, aged 40, was remanded until April 9 on a charge of having stolen £lO,OOO, the property of George Richard Cheape, at Wellington, New Zealand, between February 23 and April 30, 1953

Detective Patrick Edward Quinn gave evidence that he had seen McGavin in Toowoomba, where he had been residing for the last two to two and a half years.

McGavin, applying for bail, said that the New Zealand Supreme Court sat only four times a year, and he did not wish to miss the May sessions.

He said he had been living in Toowoomba for nearly three years, having left New Zealand in October. 1954, 18 months aftet the alleged offence had taken place.

As a result of newspaper publicity he had written to the New Zealand Police Commissioner about the matter and his lettei had been acknowledged. He had received no further communication since then, and he had been arrested at comparatively short notice. McGavin said that he would be unable to find securities in a substantial amount.

The prosecutor, Detective-Ser-geant W. J. Beer, in opposing bail, said that McGavin had left New Zealand before the police investigations. Detective-Sergeant Beer said it would be alleged that the money had come from trust accounts ana there was a possibility there would be further charges involving a total of £25.000 (Australian).

Mr Pearce, S.M., said he did not think it would be discreet for him to allow bail.