Bank’s manager stole $4000

Press, 2 December 1981, Page 6

Bank’s manager stole $4000

A Westport savings bank manager was convicted of theft as a servant in the District Court at Westport yesterday. Geoffrey. Allen Lukey. aged 39. pleaded guilty and Judge McAloon sentenced him to do 120 hours community work and placed him on probation for a year. An application'for suppression of name was refused. Judge McAloon said that while he appreciated the reasons given by counsel, he believed , he had' a more important duty to the people employed in the Post Office Savings Bank and it would be manifestly unfair if any of them were placed under any suspicion because of a name suppression. Mr B. Lovell outlined the circumstances that led up to his client taking $4OOO between April and October this year. There was no attempt to conceal anything and Lukey knew there were regular audits. The Judge said he was pleased that full restitution had been made and mentioned the probation report

and. references which spoke highly.,-of Lukey’s work and role in the community. A few years ago a term of imprisonment was most likely .for this crime, but the outlook had- changed and a term of imprisonment was no longer inevitable, Judge McAloon told the’court.