Magistrates Court Stowed Away After Committing Fraud

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30050, 7 February 1963, Page 10

Magistrates Court Stowed Away After Committing Fraud

‘This is your second offence involving fraud and you shook! go to prison but I am going to give you a chance to settle down and pay“the money,’’ said Mr E. A. Lee, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday when ordering George Cowie Moffat, aged 31, a marine engineer, to pay fines, costs and restitution totaling £lOl 8s on two charges. On a charge of obtaining credit to the value of £56 8s by firaud from Hancock and Company, Ltd., at Auckland on December 24, Moffat was placed on probation for 12 months and was ordered to pay £2O towards the cost of prosecution and to make

restitution of £56 Bs. On a charge of stowing ’ away in the Gothic he was fined £lO and was ordered to make restitution of £l3 10s. He pleaded guilty to both charges. Sergeant B. D. Read said that on December 8 Moffat booked in to the Great Northern Hotel in Auckland as J. Fraser. After being questioned about his account some time later he disappeared leaving behind two large suitcases containing personal effects. His real identity was learned from a paper in one of these. Moffat stowed away in the Gothic and when he was discovered he was put ashore at Pitcairn Island. He was later placed on board the Corinthic and was landed at Lyttelton, Sergeant Read said.

A probation officer said that apart from these offences Moffat’s behaviour was quite satisfactory. He was earning about £75 a month on a coastal ship. HUNTED PROTECTED WILDLIFE Charged with hunting protected wildlife at Oaro on August 12, Barry George McCausland was convicted and fined £7 10s and his rifle was ordered to be forfeited. McCausland pleaded not guilty. Mr N. M. Williamson prosecuted for the Internal Affairs Department. Brian Douglas Bell, a field officer of the wildlife branch of the Internal Affairs Department, said he saw redtailed gulls flying about in an agitated manner above two men on the beach at Oaro. Using a binocular he saw that one man was shooting at the gulls with a rifle. When approached McCausland said he owned the rifle. When asked if he knew gulls were protected he said he was not shooting them, he was sighting his rifle. Mr Williamson said the

maxuntsn penalty for the offence was £5O, and the Internal Affairs Department asked that the rifle be forfeited aa concern was caused by similar incidents in the area.

STOLE CLOCK Charged with stealing a clock valued at £lO on February 5, John Pilworth, aged 35, a ship’s engineer, was convicted and fined £lO. Suppression of name was refused. Pilwocth pleaded guilty to the charge. He said he had intended to return the dock but was apprehended by the police before he could do so. He apologised for any inconvenience he caused. NO RETURNS OF INCOME On each of three charges of failing to supply returns of income, M. M. Rathie, James and Company, Ltd., land and estate agents (Mr R B. Shand), was fined £2. There had been no attempt at deception and the company was eligible for a refund from the Inland Revenue Department of a sum greater than the small amounts payable by the company under the charges which related to the periods to June 7, 1958, June 7, 1959, and August 7, 1961, said Mr Shand, when entering a plea of guilty on all charges. RRT.tIAS.ET> ON BAIL Jk>hn Michael Farrell, aged 21, a sailor, charged with absenting himself without leave from the motor vessel Port Wimbleton, at Whangarei, on December 29. was released on bail of £lOO. Mr G. S. Brockett, who appeared for the shipping company, said Farrell's release on bail was required by law, as the shipping company had not been able to arrange his deportation back to England. REMANDED Leslie Dunn, aged 24, a barman. was remanded on bail to February 11 on a charge of driving on Yaldhurst road while under the influence of drink or drugs on February 5.

James Denis Scott, aged 25, a soldier, was remanded to February 8, on a charge of false pretences at Featherston on December 29. Bail was allowed.

Charged with breaking into premises at 63 Geraldine street on January 29, with intent to commit a crime, Kathleen Sheard, aged 32, a secretary (Mr G. S. Brockett), was remanded on bail to February 15.