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Woman convicted on 19 charges

A young woman, in the District Court yesterday, was convicted on 16 charges of dishonesty involving the opening of bank accounts with cheques from a stolen cheque book, and the issue of cheques for items including air fares, accommodation, a rental car hire, and the purchase or attempted purchase of three cars. The defendant, Brenda Joy Armstrong, aged 19, an unemployed masseuse (Mr C. D. Eason), in a defended hearing in which prosecution evidence was heard over two days, had denied 19 charges. Judge Bisphan yesterday convicted her on one charge of forgery of a Bank of New South Wales signature card, -six of false pretence, six of using documents (cheques or withdrawal slips) to obtain pecuniary’ advantage two of obtaining credit by false pretepce. and one charge of obtaining credit by fraud. The defendant was -remanded off bail to May 21 for sentence on the 16 charges, and on three other charges of false pretence, which she admitted. The Judge dismissed three charges of forgery and on one of the other charges he convicted her in regard to one of the several cheques listed. Twenty-seven prosecution witnesses gave evidence in the hearing. No defence evidence was called.

Evidence and submissions in the case were heard on Monday and Tuesday. The offences were committed in Wellington and Christchurch late last year. Some of the charges involved offences allegedly committed jointly with other persons. The Judge said it was clear from evidence and statements by’ the defendant to the police that others were involved in some offences. He rejected a defence of duress, but when traversing details of the charges he mentioned . the defendant’s having paid money, which she withdrew from accounts, to a woman listed jointly in some charges. He said he was satisfied the defendant had committed one forgery in regard to a signature to open a savings account, but he dismissed three other similar charges because of insufficient evidence. In summary, the Judge said he accepted evidence given by a police document examiner, and fingerprint evidence. He said he accepted the document examiner’s evidence “in entirety” regarding the signing of documents produced in the case, and the defendant by her statements to the police had admitted as much. He was satisfied beyond doubt on the charges in which he had entered convictions.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19800508.2.65.4

Bibliographic details

Press, 8 May 1980, Page 7

Word Count
389

Woman convicted on 19 charges Press, 8 May 1980, Page 7

Woman convicted on 19 charges Press, 8 May 1980, Page 7