Overpayment of welfare benefit

Press, 28 April 1981, Page 9

Overpayment of welfare benefit

A man who admitted being overpaid $1499 by the Department of Social Welfare said he thought the extra money would help him repay a $lOOO debt, said Sergeant K. T. Boyle in the District Court yesterday. Ernest Charles Batchelor, aged 39, a kitchen hand, pleaded guilty to misleading the department about his employment in order to continue receiving an unemployment benefit.

The offence took place between November 22, last year, and February. Sergeant Boyle said the defendant had made several declarations to the effect that he was unemployed. He was in receipt of a benefit at the married rate. Batchelor, (Mrs J. Rotherham) was convicted by Judge Fraser and remanded to May 11 for a probation report and sentence. Compensation of $1499 was sought from the defendant. DEPOSITIONS Kenneth Francis Linton, aged 31, a machine operator, was further remanded in custody to June 23 for the

taking of depositions on a charge of murder. Linton (Mr B. McClelland, Q.C.) is charged with the murder of Kathleen Hilda Fleet, aged 25, in her North Beach home on March 2, CHARGE DENIED A charge of stealing a violin and case, valued at $l2OO. was denied by a freezing worker, aged 24. Alan Crampton (Mr S. G. Barker) was remanded to July 2 for a defended hearing. The violin was the property of Sandra Janet Smith and the alleged offence was said to have occurred on April 12. ASSAULT CHARGE A salesman, aged 34, charged with assaulting a boy. aged 11, was remanded without plea to April 30. The defendant, who wasgranted interim suppression of his name, is also charged with wilfully obstructing a police officer in the execution of his duty. The offence is alleged to have taken place on April 26.