MAGISTRATE'S COURT Woman obtained $10,400 by false pretence

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33448, 1 February 1974, Page 13

MAGISTRATE'S COURT Woman obtained $10,400 by false pretence

A 52-year-old woman who J over a period of 17 years' collected $10,400 in social! ; [security benefits pleaded; guilty "in the Magistrate’s! Court yesterday to 17! charges of false pretence. 1 Emily Isobei Silcock, a! housewife (Mr D. M. Palmer) i iwas remanded on bail to; !Februarv 14 for sentence by I Mr K. H. J. Headifen, S.M. 1 Senior-Sergeant F. G. Muljcare said that in August, 11956, the defendant and Mrs I May Elizabeth Murfitt called ! in at the Social Security De- - ! partmerit in Invercargill and [filled in a benefit application !for Mrs Murfitt, whose husband had died the previous day, apparently leaving his wife penniless. I Because of ill health she Iwas granted an invalid’s benefit, to remain in force as llong as she was medically unfit for work. Mrs Murfitt could neither read nor write and the deifendant agreed to act as her 'agent and signed all correspondence and orders accordingly, said SeniorSergeant Mulcare. Mrs Murfitt was living with the defendant at this time. In November, 1956. Mrs Murfitt obtained work and her benefit should have ceased. She left the defendant’s house but i when tile Social Security Depart- • ment sent a benefit renewal form for the defendant to sign for Mrs Murfitt she did so. and continued to do so each year until last year. in November last year Mrs Murfitt had a leg amputated and

' applied for ar: in valla’s benefit. ; The records showed her to be i still in receipt of a benefit issued iin 1958. Inquiries showed that i she had not received any money I since November. 1956. The defendant admitted sign- : ing the authorisation forms al- ' though she had not been In• ■ touch with Mrs Murfitt since i 1956. She knew she was comi mitting an offence but initially i she had needed the money to support a family. j The first offence was committed in Christchurch, the next 13 at Greymouth and the last three at Kalapoi. Senior-Sergeant Mulcare said he had been instructed by the ; Social Welfare Department to ask for restitution of 510,400. Mr Palmer asked for suppression of defendant’s name because of her health; this was refused. FIREARM CHARGE A young man who appeared on a charge of carrying a .303 calibre rifle without lawful purpose on January 30 was remanded on ball, without a plea being entered, to February 7. The defendant, whose name was suppressed in the Interim, was represented by Mr L. M. O’Reilly. HOUSE BURGLARY Mark Graham Lightowler. aged, 19, a storeman ■Mr P. H. B.' Hall'. pleaded guilty to a charge; of burgling a house in Mack-1 worth Street on January 14 He, was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence within nine months if called upon. Senior-Sergeant Mulcare said Lightowler entered an unlocked house and took a radio worth i ■ $35 which he later sold to a • dealer for $3. > Lightowler admitted the oft fence when he was interviewed ■ by the police on January 23. He, i said he was short of money at • the time. Mr Hall said Lightowler found ! the door open when he went to tile house to obtain work. He i acted on the spur of the moml ent in taking the radio.

THEFT AS SERVANT Terrence James Wright, aged 25. unemployed 'Mr M. J. Glue), [ was fined S5O when he pleaded guilt' to a charge of taking I car ‘parts valued at WOO from rtecl Motor Assemblies, Ltd,' while employed by the firm, be-, ; tween June and November. Senior-Sergeant Mulcare said i that in January a search was! made of defendant's home. The, 1 parts were discovered in a: blocked-up fireplace. The defend-' ant said he had bought them; from tlie firm, but later admitted' taking them. All the parts w ere recovered. 1 and an order was made for, their return. FIREWORKS THROWN On a charge of setting off a' firework in Grlmseys Road on November 8, Murray David Fiet-, cher. aged 17 a driver (Mr G. R Lascelles', was convicted and fined $lO. He pleaded guilty. Senior-Sergeant Mulcare said a firework was thrown from a car in the direction of two cyclists in Grimseys Road about 4.45 p.m. A second firework landed on the bonnet of a following car. .Mr Lascelles said Fletcher had already been punished because tne driver of the second car latex assaulted him. ' STOLE TOY DUCK i Pleading guilty to a charge of; 1 stealing a toy duck worth 513.<9 I from Rickards Furnishings. Ltd, ■ on December 20, Georgina .Mavis Williams, aged 17, unemployed (Mr P. Guild), was convicted and ■ ordered to appear for sentence within nine months if called upon. Senior-Sergeant Mulcare said I Williams picked up a toy duck i in the shop and walked out with it. She was accosted by the com- ■ j plainant in another shop and she I gave the duck back to him. She ijalso gave him a false name. ; Sir Guild said Williams was on 'probation at the time for prell vlous offences. She was out of > work and had no money. She > I took the duck to give her three- ■ year-old brother a Christmas pre1 sent.

DANGEROUS SPEED On a charge of driving at a dangerous speed on December 28, Graeme Norman McArthur, aged 118, a farm worker, was comici ted and fined $5O and disquali-. I fled from driving for six months. He pleaded guilty. Senior-Sergeant Mulcare said ! McArthur's speed beside Sunny-

side Hospital was estimated at 60 miles an hour. EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL On a charge of driving with an exceeshe blood-aleohoi concentration t2osmg), on November 28. Murray Kenneth Wilson, aged 24, a roofer '.Mr T. M. Abbott>. was convicted and remanded on ball to February 7 for aentenca He pleaded guilty. Before Mr F. G. Paterson, S.M.’ REMAND TO WESTPORT Michael John Gee. a clerk -Mr Im. G L. Loughnani, and Peter Timothy Leary, an apprentice cabinet-maker (Mr C. M. Mari shall', were remanded on ball until February 26 at Westport w hen they appeared for aentencc on several charges arising out of incidents at Carters Beach j Gee had pleaded guilty on 'January 5 to charges of unlawI ful assembly and depositing dangerous litter at Westport, His | pleas w ere changed to not guilty. Leary had also pleaded guilty on the same date to charges of wilful damage, unlawful assent-; bly, and depositing dangerous litter. His pleas were changed to not guilty on the unlawful assembly and wilful damage charges The Magistrate said a group of persons, who had all pleaded not guilty to similar charges, would have their cases heard on that date. 'Before Mr ff I. Moltneaux, S.M.i BURGLARY 1 James Robert Cook, aged 41, a scrap metal employee -Mr Glue' was placed on probation for one -ear when he was sentenced on a charge of burgling (the premises of Wholesale Groceries. Ltd, on November 25. Mr Glue told the Court previously that Cook was on erutiches and heavily Intoxicated at the time. The nart lie played was of a technical nature. /Before Mr M I-', Brown. S M.) ATTEMPTED FALSE PRETENCE I Stephen John McMahon, aged

18. unemplox ed Mi ulue , va? placed on probation for one year when he xx«& sentenced on t\*o chaige* ot udvnipua taJb< p*e tenet to which he had pre\i oubis pleaded guilt.' Mr Glue said that m commit ting the oftem-ex McMahon va? taken advantage ot b. a co ■ iitot oi prexious conviction*.