PREYED ON HIS MIND

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 284, 27 August 1930, Page 13

PREYED ON HIS MIND

Tablet-Porter’s Lapse

wanted to get it over

Dominion Special Service.

Auckland, Augus 26. “It preyed on his mind. He said he had no hope, and that it was a case of his word against another’s,” said Mr. Smith in the police court to-day in explaining why Herbert Albert Edward Scott, aged 32, a tablet porter, called at the police station and asked that he be tried on a charge of stealing a hand saw and 14/- in money, the property of the New Zealand Government Railways, and on three charges of obtaining sums totalling £3 by false pretences. Scott had been remanded on bail.

“He wishes to get it over, he said,” remarked Detective Nalder to Mr. Hunt, S.M., “and said that if he were let out oii bail he would go away on the Aorapgi.” Mr. Nalder then described how accused called at the police station and asked that he be tried that day.

“Against my advice he is pleading guilty to all the charges,” said Mr. Smyth. “I think he was guilty of theft of the saw, but he sticks to his story regarding the false pretences charge, and I do not think he is guilty.” • Mr, Smyth said his client had taken the step of going to the police station without his knowledge. Accused was visibly affected while counsel was pleading for him. “He was a tablet norter in the employment of the New Zealand Government Railways," said Mr. Smyth, “and was then moved to take over sole charge at Patumahoe.”

Counsel submitted that the Railway Department was to blame for putting a man not used to the keeping of books in such a responsible position. The false pretences charges arose out of accused receiving money for the unloading of trucks at the station. Accused said, and stuck to his story, that two carriers at Patumahoe approached him and offered him 1/- a ton to unload manure from the trucks if they were not at the station to do so themselves. Certainly Instructions from the Railway Department were that no unloading charges were to be made, but it was in‘the interests of carriers if they could get manure removed to the goods shed instead of its being left in the open. x -

Mr. Smythe made a plea for leniency, saying that accused was a married man with three children.

"I think the ends of justice will be met,” said the magistrate, “if I place him on probation for six months, and order him to make complete restitution.”