TWO MONTHS HARD LABOUR FALSE PRETENCES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 72, 26 March 1914, Page 3

TWO MONTHS HARD LABOUR FALSE PRETENCES.

AUCKLAND, 25th March. This man went to Wingate and Co.'s, and said that he had an account with the firm, which induced them to give him household goods on credit to the valne of £11 8s 6d," explained Chief-Detev tive M'Mahon at the PoKce Court this morning respecting the offence, of Charles Watson, who pleaded guilty to obtaining goods to the value of £11 8s 6d by false pretences. The Chief Detective added that a similar charge respecting goods to the value of £9 19s, obtained from John Burns and Co., would be withdrawn. " There are degrees in such offences," remarked Mr. Fraser, S.M. "Sometimes a false name is given." "He gave the name which he-dsuallv travels under," replied the Chief-De-tective. Accused said that he had been getting goods for tbree months before the firm demanded payment. Then, when he could not pay at once, they said, "Yon're a thieE; we'll prosecute you." In the first place he considered that the firm had sent the goods on their own initiative and responsibility., His Worship : If you get goods by saying that you had an account whan you did not have an account with the firm you got them by false pretences. ' Chief -Detective M'Mahon stated that accused had been convicted in 1911 for false pretences. His Worship thereupon sentenced | Watson to two months' hard labour. "