FAILED TO ACCOUNT

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 230, 26 June 1935, Page 7

FAILED TO ACCOUNT

Auckland Clerk Pleads Loss of Memory x “CAME TO” IN TIMARU By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, June 25. The story of a man who left his home in Auckland to go on.a week-end fishing trip and at last found .himself in Timaru was told to Mr. E. C. Levvey, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court to-day, when John Dnintry Campbell Birch, aged 37, described as a clerk, of Monaghan Avenue, Auckland, was charged with obtaining sums totalling £l6 and failing to pay them to Muriel Wallace, thereby committing theft. He pleaded guilty. The police said complainant was a milk vendor, w.ho had employed accused to collect accounts, but in March last accused went off on complainant's bicycle one day and failed to return. Counsel for the defence said that accused was a married man. His position in Auckland was a good one. He left his home there in March to go fishing, and eventually reached Christchurch, and had then no recollection of his past history. Later his wife reported him as missing. It was not uhtil he was in Timaru that he came to himself. Counsel suggested that the whole thing was due to a lapse of memory. Accused was convicted and ordered to come ur for. sentence. when called upon and to make restitution in fourteen days. After listening to counsel' the Magistrate, in passing sentence, said they had to do all they could to help in such cases. . -