‘World traveller’ sentenced

Press, 4 August 1981, Page 7

‘World traveller’ sentenced

PA Tauranga A man who forged two cheques to pay for a whirlwind world tour including an Atlantic Concorde flight has been sentenced in the District Court at Tauranga to four months periodic detention.

The man. whose name was suppressed, was convicted on July 21 on four charges.

The court was told that the man took cheques from his employer, making one for $4917 payable to Stars Travel for world travel and exchanging the second for £l7OO sterling in travellers cheques. After telling his parents he was going to Auckland for the week-end. he flew to London, then to New York in the Concorde, and on to Los Angeles where he gave himself up to the police. Counsel, Mr P. M. Phillips, said several reasons existed for the offences, none of them criminal and his client now intended to return to school.

Judge Deobhakta said he would not hesitate to send the man to prison if it were not for a medical condition.

"By your cunning, you managed to defraud your employer of more than $BOOO. and it is a very serious offence,” he said. "I am told that there is a good chance you will reoffend. and if that occurs, I can guarantee you will be sent to prison."

The Judge made no order

for restitution but said he hoped someone in the man’s family would feel morally obliged to repay the $7317 which had been used.

The Los Angeles police recovered $l6OO when the man gave himself up.