FAILURE TO ACCOUNT

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 264, 3 August 1929, Page 9

FAILURE TO ACCOUNT

SALESMAN SENT TO PRISON A charge of failng to account to Forestry Development, Ltd., for £l5, and three charges of false pretences, were admitted by John Francis Halcomb, a salesman, aged 29, before Mr. E. Page, S.M.. in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. According to Chief-Detective Lopdell, accused was employed for six weeks or so by the complainant company. His duties were to collect suscriptions in the country, and his work took him as far as Palmerston North. After he had started, be thought he would assist himself by purchasing a car. He used £l<> of the firm’s money as a deposit. In Palmerston North accused collected various sums of money, which he carried with him. Unfortunately, he started drinking, and the following morning found his money (£3l) was missing. Regarding the charges of false pretences, continued Mr. Lopdell, accused issued valueless cheques to a total value of £8 to people whom he knew, and succeeded in getting the value of them. His explanation was that he was distressed because he could not account to his firm for the money lie had lost, and had hit on the idea of issuing the cheques to get money to reimburse his firm. He later gave himself up to the police. The Magistrate remarked that accused had several previous convictions. He did not seem to have tokeu the warnings

given to him. On the first charge accused would he sentenced to six months’ im prisonment. On the first of the false pretences charges he was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, and on the other two to six months’ imprisonment The sentences are to be concurrent.