HEARING CONCLUDED

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 57, 30 November 1934, Page 13

HEARING CONCLUDED

Relief Works Clerk Sent to Trial THREE CHARGES OF THEFT Dominion Special Service. Wanganui, November 29. The hearing of evidence in support of three charges of theft brought against Norman Leslie Tyler by the police concluded in the Magistrate’s Court to-day before Mr. J. 11. Salmon, S.M. ami resulted in accused’s pleading not guilty and being committed to the Supreme Court for trial. Tyler, who had been employed by the Waitotara County Council to do clerical work in connection with the administration of relief labour under the control of the council, was arrested on three charges of the theft of moneys which the police alleged had been paid to him and not accounted for. The charges covered a total sum of £l5 4/- and related to a period from June 7 to November 22, 1033. It was alleged that accused had not issued official receipts for money paid him by farmers as insurance for relief workers employed on the “over the fence” scheme, but had made imprints of a rubber stamp on the invoices and had initialled and dated them and failed to account for the amounts so received. Frederick W. G. Spriggens, relief worker, who had been employed in the same office under accused’s direction, gave evidence that on October 12 accused complained that his cash had been tampered with. The door had been closed and, with a clerk from the main office, a balance was made which revealed a shortage of £45. Mr. Salmon: Was it customary to keep large sums of cash in the box? Witness: From £l5O to £175.

Detective Walsh gave evidence of interviews with accused, who had complained to the police that the money bad been stolen from the office. The interviews took place with accused while his solicitor and auditors were present. Accused was shown the receipted invoices, and said he could not say whether lie had received the money.

“I saw accused at his house on November 8,” said Detective Walsh, “and had with me the second record book. I told him I had reason to believe it was not the original one which had been entered up in 1933. He replied it was not, because he had burnt the original after copying the contents into the new book. I asked him if the new book was an exact copy of the one destroyed, and he said it could be described as a revised copy.” Accused had stated further that the new book had been written up from the original at the office at the beginning of last winter. The old book had been burnt in the office fire. Accused had told no one in the office that he had rewritten the book.

Tyler was committed for trial at the next sittings of the Supreme Court at Wanganui. He was allowed bail, £lOO in his own recognisance and one surety of £lOO.