Man jailed on fraud charges

Press, 9 March 1982, Page 5

Man jailed on fraud charges

PA Dunedin An Invercargill man was sent to prison for nine months when he appeared for sentence in the District Court at Dunedin on nine counts of obtaining money by false pretence from his, employer, the Southland Frozen Meat Co..'Ltd. The court was told theamount involved could have been as much as $88,847. Sonny James Dean, aged 36, a foreman, had denied 10 charges of obtaining money over the last , four killing ■ seasons by drawing wages for workers who were no longer employed at the company’s Makarewa works. But a District Court jury in Invercargill found nine of the charges proved last month. Because of the way the charges had been worded the jury had not been called on to make a finding on how much money had been obtained — just that it was more than $4O on each count. This posed problems for sentencing. The Crown solicitor, Mr G. S. Noble, said the sentencer -must make his own assess-

ment of the facts in a case like this. He said it could be argued that Dean obtained the entire gross amount of $88,847. But counsel for Dean. Mr R. G. R. Eagles, said it was clear that tax had been paid on the money obtained and it was unlikely the jury had spent much time deliberating on how much more than $4O; had been obtained on each count. Judge Murray said it seemed the jury had returned its verdict on the basis that the pattern alleged by the Crown had been established beyond reasonable doubt. He. was in no doubt that the bulk of the money presented by the Crown had been proved by the evidence but believed it was appropriate to consider only the net amount of $56,775, averaging about $6500 on each charge. In spite of submissions from Mr Eagles that Dean should be sentenced to periodic detention, the judge said that imprisonment was the only appropriate penalty. Dean was sentenced to nine months imprisonment on each charge, to .be served concurrently. % ,