Insurance broker to deny 30 cheque fraud charges

Press, 16 August 1988, Page 31

Insurance broker to deny 30 cheque fraud charges

An insurance broker facing 30 charges of fraudulently using cheques to a face value of $300,000 would be pleading not guilty to all the charges, Judge Frampton was told in the District Court yesterday. Frederick Joseph Murray, aged 43 (Mr H. Dawson), was remanded on bail to October 17 for the taking of depositions. It is alleged that Murray committed 23 of the offences in Wellington and the rest in Christchurch.

Murray, a first offender, is alleged to have signed 24 of the cheques without lawful authority to do so, and had drawn six cheques, signed in another name, between May, 1986, and August, last year. All the cheques were drawn on the account of the Standard Optical Company of Australasia, Ltd.

The defendant was refused suppression of his name last week. CHARGE DENIED David Wayne Barton was remanded to September 2 for a defended hearing on a charge of

injuring a woman witn intent to cause her grievous bodily harm. Barton, aged 32, a scaffolder (Mr R. J. Searle), is alleged to have committed the offence, in which a knife was used in a domestic situation, on August 6. DISCHARGE A retired man who was a voluntary worker in the police kiosk in Cathedral Square was discharged without conviction after pleading guilty to a charge of stealing chocolate and a pen from a Cathedral Square hamburger bar on July 23. After a burglary of the hamburger bar was brought to his attention, the defendant, aged 71, went over to the premises and stole the items before reporting the matter to the police, said Sergeant South. Later, he admitted taking the property, saying others had been helping themselves and that the property was there for the taking. Counsel, Mr M. J. Glue, said his client, a first offender, throughout his life had been a disciplined and controlled man, with

an examplary war record. The rather “bizarre” offence, which had already attracted media attention, occurred at the time when he suffered a personal setback.

Mr Glue sought a discharge without conviction and suppression of his client’s name, who he said no longer performed his voluntary work at the police kiosk. When anyone appeared in court for the first time at the age of 71 and had lived a useful life in the community, he was entitled to some credit.

The Judge accepted that the man’s offending could have been because of his ill health and the personal setback he was suffering from at the time.

Final suppression of his name was granted by the Judge. BAIL ALLOWED There was now no objection to bail for a fashion designer charged with receiving $25,000 in cash, the proceeds of the aggravated robbery of the Edgeware Post Office last Thursday.

Lex Arnold Sinclair, aged 25, was, as a condition of bail, ordered to

report twice a week to the police, and to remain at his address between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. daily.

Sinclair had been remanded in custody until yesterday to allow police to detail his involvement in the alleged crime so that the matter of bail could be reviewed.

On Friday, Sinclair had said that he had been cooperative with the police and had led them to where the money was in the belief that bail would not be opposed. The prosecutor at the time said he had received no instructions to this effect and Sinclair had been remanded in custody. DRUG CHARGES Robert Arthur Alexander Cooper, aged 23, unemployed, was remanded to October 18 for the taking of depositions on charges of possessing cannabis, selling cannabis, offering to supply cannabis oil, supplying cannabis oil, and receiving a camera lens and filter, valued at $240. He was remanded in custody to next Monday pending a High Court bail application. Anita Nadia Gibson, aged 29, a sickness bene-

ficiary, was remanded, on High Court bail, to August 29 on charges of supplying amphetamines, selling temgesics, possessing cannabis, and selling the drug. Dean Lister Kirk, aged 22, unemployed, who faces four charges of selling cannabis, was remanded, on bail, to August 29. Andre Elizabeth Isitt, aged 34, a beneficiary (Mr A. N. D. Garrett), was remanded to August 22 on charges of selling temgesics on two occasions. On a charge of selling temgesics Jacqueline Anne Smith, aged 43, a sickness beneficiary (Mr D. J. Taffs), was remanded to September 7 for the taking of depositions.

Colin James Taylor, aged 36, a manager (Mr C. D. Eason), was remanded to October 12 for the taking of depositions on a charge of possessing morphine. On charges of possessing cannabis for sale or supply, supplying cannabis resin, and supplying cannabis oil, Kelvin George Walsh, aged 24, a labourer, was remanded in custody to August 19.