A LUCKY YOUTH

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 290, 7 September 1928, Page 7

A LUCKY YOUTH

ADMITTED TO PROBATION / ' - “BETTER TO ERR ON SIDE OF LENIENCY” Dominion Special Service. Christchurch, September 6. Stating that he was really going against his judgment, Mr. E. 1). Mosley, S.M., today admitted George Wallace Glidden Richardson, a youth of 18 years, to probation for three years on charges of issuing valueless cheques. The youth was convicted last week on four charges of issuing cheques in Hamil,ton and Christchurch, and one of stealing a wireless set, and was remanded for sentence till to-day while details were obtained of similar offences which he committed in Wellington. The three Wellington charges concerned two £5 and one £6 cheques which accused issued to firms which cashed them. “These offences were on very much the samej lines as the previous ones,” said Chief-Detective Carroll. “Accused opened his bank account at Hamilton, soon exhausted the deposit, and started issuing the cheques. Passing through Wellington on his way here he put these cheques off. In addition he seems to have backed them up with a story in each case that would have done credit to an old hand. I have talked to the boy. and it has struck me that he does not seem a bit penitent. If he were put away for a time it might do him a lot of good.” Mr. M. J. Burns appealed for probation on account of the youth’s mother, and his younger brother and sister. A man who knew accused’s family and circumstances told the Court that should probation be granted he could guarantee a job on a farm for accused. “It’s taken ten years of his mother’s life,” he said. ’’She is very seriously ill.” “I’m not .very optimistic about the chance of his reformation.” said the Magistrate. “Still, he is a very young lad, and it would perhaps be better to err on the side of leniency.” if. “It is rather a commentary in commercial usages when such a youth can get a cheque book.” said Mr. Burns. “Is it any use my addressing Your Worship on the suppression of the name?” “In these cases it is most important that the public should know the facts,” said the Magistrate. “In this case the public really had the remedy in its own hands,” said Mr. Burns. “Innocent people will suffer.” “They suffer in 90 per cent, of cases.” said the Magistrate. “To some extent certainly it was the fault of the firms that they were .taken down. I’m gding to give him a chance.” the Magistrate continued “On one charge, that of obtaining £2O Os. (id. from the New Zealand Coffee and Spice Company, he is ordered, to come up for sentence if called upon within three years. The same, applies to all the other charges, except the one of obtaining £lO from Mr. Cook in Hamilton; on that he is given,three years’ pro- i bation. The full amount concerned in the charges is £66. He is ordered to restore that in three years, payments to be made at the direction of the probation officer. I usually suppress the names of boys, but this one has been fleecing the public from 1 Hamilton to Christchurch, and in the interests of the public I .cannot suppress the name.”