Couple sentenced for magazine fraud

Press, 18 May 1984, Page 7

Couple sentenced for magazine fraud

A young couple who established a free monthly magazine, “Lifestyle." for circulation to Christchurch households early last year, were sentenced in the District Court yesterday for fraud in relation to its production. In sentencing Alan David Hammond, aged 28, unemployed. and Dian Joan Hammond. aged 25, a housewife. Judge Pain said the two did not represent the type of villain who frequently appeared in the Court. However, the Hammonds' actions had involved a deliberate fraud which induced Caxton Press to a course of action which cost it a substantial sum of money. Alan Hammond was sentenced to six months’ periodic detention on a joint charge with his wife that, in

incurring a debt of $15,000 with Caxton Press. Ltd, on January 14. last year, he obtained credit bj- falsely representing that they were in a position to make an agreed payment of $14,000 before production of 106.000 copies of the magazine; and on a joint charge that on or about March 25. last year, in incurring a debt of $11,896 with Caxton Press, he obtained credit by falsely representing that he had completed advertising contracts for the magazine, sufficient to provide revenue from which the cost of publication could be met. Dian Hammond was sentenced to do 120 hours of community service on the first charge. At their trial recently both had been found guilty by the jury of the first

charge and Alan Hammond guilty and his wife not guilty of the second. Their counsel. Miss E. H. B. Thompson, submitted in mitigation of penalty that the couple, who were now bankrupt, had been hard working and had shown commendable initiative in starting the community magazine. The community aspect of their magazine proposal had been commended in a letter to them from the Mayor of Christchurch. Sir Hamish Hay. the then Deputy Mayor, Mr R. Lester, and councillors, V. S. Buck and D. J. Rowlands. Miss Thompson said the two had not gained financially and there had been no evidence of high living. They were young people with previously unblemished records.