Ashburton secretary sent to prison

Press, 31 March 1983, Page 9

Ashburton secretary sent to prison

An Ashburton man described by his counsel as “a positive asset to the community” was sent to prison for 15 months by Judge Fraser in the District Court yesterday. John Alexander Robertson, aged 51, a public secretary, (Mr C. A. McVeigh), had earlier admitted 66 charges of fraudulently misappropriating clients’ funds, totalling $27,819, in the District Court at Timaru on March 14. Initially Robertson had pleaded not guilty to the charge in the District Court at Ashburton at the end of last year. Judge Fraser said that in view of the defendant’s activity in church and community affairs over a number of years and the high regard with which he was held it was sad to see such a man in the dock for such serious offending. When considering the defendant’s position of trust and responsibility, the period involved in the offending, and the amount involved, anything other than a custodial sentence could not be considered. There had to be a deterrent aspect, said the Judge. Mr McVeigh sumitted that it was not a case of a

professional man abusing a position of trust. After being approached by the societies to handle their affairs Robertson had set up a business on his own and had invested about $lO,OOO in the venture. Later they halved the defendant’s pay. “In effect they pushed him out in a canoe without a paddle,” said Mr McVeigh. Had Robertson’s income kept pace with the times he would have been in a much more profitable position now ano would not have been appearing in the dock. Mr McVeigh said his client had an “impeccable” record of community service, his position of trust had been promoted by “some pretty slap-dash office methods,” by the societies he had worked for and the money taken had not been used for luxuries but only to eke out a living and for necessities — a position he had been put into by societies which quite graphically, had exploited the defendant, said Mr McVeigh. He submitted it was competent for a court to deal with the' offender by way of a non-custodial sentence and cited a number of recent court decisions for similar offences. Mr T. M. Gresson, the

Crown Prosecutor of Timaru, traversed the circumstances of the offences. He said that Robertson, after admitting having taken money from one organisation, had said that he thought he should enjoy a certain standard of living and the only way he could do it was to take money from his clients. 60 CHARGES A man facing 55 charges of false pretence and five of theft, involving $lO,OOO, was remanded in custody to April 7. Malcolm Mervyn Page, aged 29, unemployed (Mr S. G. Barker) is alleged to have committed the offences during January and February. No pleas were entered to the charges. CHARGE DENIED A man charged with assaulting Edwin Charles Bell, a traffic officer, on January 7, denied the alleged offfence. Andrew Roy Jones aged 22, unemployed was remanded on bail to June 9 for a defended hearing. INDECENCY CHARGES An insurance salesman convicted on three charges of wilfully doing indecent acts was given a six montii__

suspended sentence and ordered to pay $6O towards the costs of the prosecution. The defendant who, at the request of counsel (Mrs P. Gibson) was granted interim suppression of his name, had admitted the offences which took place on November 26, last year, and March 1 and 11, this year. The Judge said the cause of the offending was principally a medical problem. After being handed a psychiatric report the Judge said that the defendant, a first offender had some emotional problems to be resolved. Sergeant C. J. Shannahan said that the first of the three offences occurred when the defendant had stood outside his car and had masturbated. His action had been seen by two girls. When committing the other two similar offences the defendant had remained in his car but his actions had been seen by the same girls on both occasions. Mrs Gibson said the defendant had made no approaches to the girls and that his behaviour was symptomatic of marital problems. Such behaviour, for which he was now receiving treatment, was unlikely to be repeated, said Mrs Gibson.