Man for trial on fraud charges

Press, 17 May 1986, Page 4

Man for trial on fraud charges

An Invercargill man alleged to have masterminded a fraud scheme to obtain $663,002 in gold and cash was yesterday committed for trial In the District Court on eight Joint charges. After a preliminary hearing, lasting two days, Mrs C. M. Holmes and Mr C. E. R. Wise, Justices of the Peace, held there was sufficient evidence to commit the defendant, Trevor Alan Lee, aged 36, a contractor, for trial by Jury on all eight charges. The charges were that on December 20 last year, at Dunedin (six charges) and Timaru (two) he fraudulently used a National Bank cheque, personalised for the Trustees Executors and Agency Company of New Zealand, Ltd, to obtain a pecuniary advantage.

He was remanded on bail of $15,000 in his own recognisance, pending a date for his trial.

He was jointly charged with Barry Stephen Shirreffs and Kay Linda Kennedy, who previously had pleaded guilty and been sentenced for their involvement in the scheme. They were called as Crown witnesses on the first day of the hearing. Mr G. A. J. Hensley, who appeared for Lee, reserved his defence. Mr M. N. Zarifeh appeared for the Crown. In evidence on the first day, Kennedy claimed

that she had done all the planning for the scheme. She said Lee was not present when she typed the cheques, and that when Lee heard about the scheme he told her and Shirreffs that they were mad. She got lectures from him about how stupid she was. In yesterday’s evidence, Trevor James Randall, self-employed, of Oamaru, said he had once worked in partnership with Lee in Dunedin. Last December he had gone to the North Island with Kennedy and Lee to do some business of his own and also some work for Kennedy. He opened bank accounts for Kennedy in the names of Martin, Townsend, and Gray.

He was not told the purpose of the accounts, and did not ask as it was not his business.

Cross-examined, he said he had not been told by Lee to open the accounts. Detective M. A. Kyne gave evidence of interviewing Lee. He denied knowledge of six transactions on the account of Executor Trustees, Ltd, involving cheques issued in Dunedin and deposits in post offices.

The six cheques involved sums of $170,600, $28,634.09 (three), $368,000, and $15,500. Lee said he did not know any of these transactions were to take place.

He did not reply when asked if he had had a part in filling out the cheques. He did not know who typed out the cheques. Shown a Trusteebank Otago cheque book in another person’s name, he said he did not know whose it was. Asked to explain why it was in his suitcase in the Christchurch motel he said that, offhand, he could not. Asked if he normally carried other persons’ cheque books, he said: “If they leave them in the car.” Asked if he had anything concealed in his clothing, he said only Kay’s money. He agreed to be searched and $l5OO was found in his underpants.' Lee said it was Kay’s domestic purpose benefit money for the last two weeks.

Asked why he was . hiding it, he said he opened the wrong case when the detectives entered the motel “like the — drug squad.” He stuck it in his Jeans.