PLACED ON PROBATION

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LVI, Issue 41, 24 May 1935, Page 5

PLACED ON PROBATION

POSTAL MESSENGER'S THEFTS.

At the Magistrate's Court at Christchurch on Thursday, Mr E C Levvey, S.M., dealt with the case of George Edward Strutton, aged 20 ? messenger in the Post Office at Southbridge, who .was charged with the theft of money totalling in all £30/9/-, the property of the Post-master-General. There were ten charges, concerning , the period between May, 1934, and February, 1935, the individual amounts varying from 5/- to £9. The accused was defended by Mr F. P. Hill.

Chief-Detective W. H. Dunlop said that Strutton had been a massenger at the Southbridge post office. Among his duties was the receipt of Savings Bank deposits and unemployment levy payments. In April last enquiries had been made into irregularities at the post office, and Strutton had to leave. It was found that credit balances had been entered in depositors' books, but were not shown on the balance cards, nor on the daily reports made by accused. When he was interviewed by a detective, Striitton readily admitted that he had converted moneys to his own use. His practice was to record the receipt* of moneys in the depositors' pass books and then destroy the lodgment slips. He did the same with Savings Bank deposits and payments of the unemployment levy. There was ho cieck on the accused until depositors returned with their books to make withdrawals or to have interest entered. Accused was not in a financial position that might have caused him to* commit these acts, the chiefdetective said. He was paid about £74 a year, and was drawing what many a married man would have been happy to receive.

Mr Hill said accused's explanation was that he had been living a little beyond his means. The total theft over a period of nearly a year amounted to £30, and a few shillings. He had made full restitution, and now had other employment.

On the first charge accused was placed on probation for two years, and on the remaining nine he was convicted and discharged.