Tenants duped, paid wrong man, police say

Press, 10 January 1986, Page 7

Tenants duped, paid wrong man, police say

PA Tauranga A Te Puke man who allegedly tricked two groups of people into renting a Mount Maunganui house he was a tenant has appeared in the District Court at Tauranga. Raymond Frederick Southwell, aged 30, entered no plea to three charges of false pretence relating to the renting of the house. He was remanded in custody by a Justice of the Peace to January 14. Southwell, who listed his occupation as an orchard developer, faced two charges of obtaining cash, $250 and $450, by falsely representing he had authority to rent the house between December 9 and 25.

He was also charged with

obtaining $5O credit by presenting a fraudulent cheque to a Mount Maunganui dairy.

Sergeant Neil McColgan opposed bail, saying Southwell was wanted on five warrants issued in Auckland. He said Southwell had assumed several names, had no home and no job. The false pretence charges had allegedly been committed while Southwell was on bail.

Mr Ray Dillon, representing Southwell, said his client had been a tenant in the same house from June last year, renting it from the Public Trust.

Mr Dillon said Southwell rang the police about the offences. He had been aware he was wanted on warrants.