Two years jail for P.O. man

Press, 1 November 1977, Page 4

Two years jail for P.O. man

PA Auckland A former Post Office supervisor was sentenced to two years imprisonment on 23 charges involving more than $50,000 when he appeared in the Magistrate’s Court at Auckland. Warren Samuel Dangen, aged 23, of Huapai, was convicted on seven charges of using documents to his pecuniary advantage totalling $44,440. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. Dangen had previously admitted 16 charges of theft by failing to account, involving about $12,000. Detective J. Townsley told the Court he took a statement from the defendant about the seven charges of using documents.

In this, Dangen said he had opened a Post Office cheque account on May 4 of this year with $lOO. On May 14 he withdrew $7OOO

because there were races on and he wanted to make "big money.” He won and deposited $B5Bl in his account.

He then continued to withdraw money and ultimately his account was overdrawn by almost $14,000.

In sentencing the defendant, Mr H. Y. Gilliand, S.M.. said Dangen had no previous convictions but his offending had been deliberate and repetitive over a period of time.

The defendant had occupied a position of trust with the Post Office Savings Bank, which he exploited to his own ad vantage. He obtained money from other members of the staff which would not normally have been available.

As a result, taking all 23 charges into account, the Post Office had lost aboug $24,000.