‘PLAUSIBLE STORY’ BUT 6 MONTHS’ GAOL

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30498, 21 July 1964, Page 3

‘PLAUSIBLE STORY’ BUT 6 MONTHS’ GAOL

(New Zealand Press Association)

PALM. NORTH, July 20. “Your plausible story does not carry much weight, after you went to a Marton bank to get a loan, and your record of crimes makes sorry reading,” said Mr D. G. Sinclair, SM., sentencing .Ivan Tapp to six months’ imprisonment' for false pretences, at Palmerston North today. The Magistrate said accused’s list of convictions

included burglary at Hastings, theft at Rotorua, house breaking and theft at Christchurch, another offence which earned imprisonment at New Plymouth, and false pretences at Hamilton.

Accused was appearing for sentence on four charges of obtaining money from the Palmerston North and Tawa branches of the firm of Carter Merchants, Ltd., by falsely representing that he was a bona fide employee of that firm at Haast (Westland). It was a borderline case of false pretences, the accused told the Magistrate. He had had no intention of misleading, as his firm had said it would re-employ him if he returned to Haast

On the occasion of getting the second advance of £5 from the Palmerston North branch he had telephoned the firm to get authority, and had also telephoned the managing-director from Marton. He theiefore asked the Court for a suspended sentence or probation. On two of the charges for which the maximum sentence was three months, the accused was given three months’ gaol and on two charges for which the maximum was 12 months he was sentenced to six months' imprisonment, the terms to be concurrent V