VALUELESS TICKET

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 312, 29 September 1926, Page 12

VALUELESS TICKET

ATTEMPTED FRAUD ON TOTALISATOR “Dominion” Special. Auckland, September 27. Sydney Spraggs (aged 27 years) was at the Avondale Jockey Club’s meeting at Ellerslie ou Saturday. He went to the pay-out window at the totalisator on the outside portion of the course to collect, but instead of getting paid out on Tanadees he got arrested As a sequel he appeared in the Magistrate’s Court before Air. F. K. Hunt. S.M., charged with attempting to obtain £2 ss. 6<i., with intent to defraud, by presenting for payment- a valueless totalisator 5 ticket, well knowing it to be false. He pleaded not guilty. A pay-out clerk said that about 2.50 on Saturday, just after tlie fourth race had been decided, accused came to the window and presented a ticket that had been altered. It was not a corect ticket for Tanadees. which was No. 5, and finished second in the fourth race. The ticket was of different colour and was for No. 5 in the second race, the words “2 Race 2” having been erased. Witness requested accused to wait while he saw the manager of the totalisator. The totalisator manager, who next gave evidence, said that he went outside and spoke to accused in the presence of a police sergeant and constable. Spraggs said that he purchased the ticket himself, also that he purchased all the tickets that day for himself. When it was pointed out to accused that words and figures ou the ticket had been erased Spraggs could not explain it. In a statement made from the dock accused told Mr. Hunt that he had been discussing the prospects of various horses with a Maori in front of the totalisator before the race. As the totalisator was about to close and the Maori was in the lane leading to the window of the totalisator house, Spraggs said he gave the Maori 10s. to put on No. 5, which was Tanadees. He saw the Maori buy two tickets, one of which witness received. He could not say whether the Maori _ had given him one of the tickets which witness saw him buv. Witness thought the ticket was quite all right and presented it at the pav-out window. “I'll have to convict you,” said Mr. Hunt. “If you had told the same story to the manager of the totalisator when he saw von I might have given yon the benefit of the doubt. You will be fined £4 and costs £!•”