False Declaration For Car

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30919, 27 November 1965, Page 21

False Declaration For Car

flf.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND, Nov. 26.

John Nesfield, a retired civil servant, was fined £4O by Mr E. F. Rothwell. S.M.. on a charge of making a false declaration to the Customs Department.

Nesfield, represented by Mr R- Urquhart pleaded guilty to a charge that on July 13, 1964, he erroneously made a declaration under the Customs Act which stated that a second-hand car was a gift from his niece, Alice

Reynolds, for which no compensatory payment, direct or indirect, would be made. Prosecuting for the department, Mr G. V. Hubble said Nesfield, who had a niece in Oregon, told her his aged mother would like a car. He said he could not get a car without a licence and that to get it to him she would have to say it was a gift.

Nesfield went to the United States in July last year with a licence to import a car worth not more than £350 or 1200 dollars. He took with him £309 and a valuable stamp collection.

A car was bought for 1200 dollars. Information about

this was given to the Customs Department by the niece. Giving evidence, Nesfield said that some years ago his niece said she was able to buy a car in the United States for his mother, who had helped to bring her up. During a tour of Canada and the United States he sold the stamp collection for 1900 dollars.

The car was bought under his niece’s name. He gave her no money. The transaction was made through a friend. Nesfield said that his niece, who kept the car, told him later he had no right to import it into New Zealand. She said she would inform the Customs Department about his attempted fraud. Nesfield said: “The car has never been returned to me nor has the money - been returned.”

It was a ruse by his niece and her associates tn get his money, he said.

The Magistrate: If you play with fire and get your fingers burned, you can't complain.