Man Went To Police To Confess Thefts

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31754, 10 August 1968, Page 40

Man Went To Police To Confess Thefts

(New Zealand Press Association)

GREYMOUTH, August 9.

Twenty-seven charges of theft, forgery, and the obtaining of money by false pretences, to the amount of $1741.62, were admitted by a man in the Greymouth Magistrate’s Court this morning.

Donald Walter MacDonald, aged 25, an unemployed labourer, was remanded in custody by Mr H. J. Evans, S.M., to appear for sentence in the Magistrate’s Court at Christchurch next Friday. Detective Sergeant N. J. Dennehy said that MacDonald had pleaded guilty to 14 charges of false pretences, 10 of theft, two of forgery and one of obtaining credit by false pretences. The accused had walked into the Greymouth police station voluntarily on July 14, apparently on the advice of a priest. He had stolen six cheques in Christchurch and five in Nelson and had used these to open a Post Office savings account from which he later drew money. On February 8 in Auckland, the accused hired a film, “The Proud Ones,” on the pretext that it was for a school group. The film, the property of Twentieth Century Fox, Ltd, was valued at $l6O. He also hired a sound projector valued at $4OO from Reynolds Television, Ltd, and had not returned it.

On February 12 at Wellington, he hired a movie projector valued at $650 and a cinemascope lens valued at $45 from Camera House. These had not been returned. Later at Bluff the accused stole a camera, electric shaver, an alarm clock, and a wallet, valued at $79, the property of David Thomas Moore. The sum of $1258 in property and money had been recovered but $483.62 was still missing. MacDonald, who was not represented by counsel, told the Magistrate that he had no objection to being remanded but asked for bail for important personal reasons.

Detective Sergeant Dennehy said he believed MacDonald had a girl friend in Greymouth. He must oppose bail in the interest of the public. Bail was refused.