FURNITURE DEAL

Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 32, 7 August 1919, Page 8

FURNITURE DEAL

MANAGER BEFORE { THE COURT

Alleged misappropriation of his employers' money was i the charge . made against Harold Albert Peard, formerly manager of the Jenkins Furnishing Co., Ltd., at the Supreme Court, before Mr. Justice Stringer, to-day. Mr. P. S. K. Macassey conducted the case, for ,the Crown, and Mr. M'Nicol was foreman of the jury. . .

In outlining the case for the Crown, Mr. Macassey said that Peard's duties included buying for ,the firm and valuing furniture, houses, etc., and, in course of his duties, he purchased for Ms firm •the furniture of a house owned: by Mr. Partridge, at No. 252, The Terrace, paying £72 10s for it. The furniture should have been at: once removed to the company's premises, but the accused failed to do this. , Instead, he went into possession, used, the furniture, and in March last sold the furniture to ai Mrs'. O'Neill for £220. Shortly afterwards he left the firm's employ. Mr. Macassey called evidence on the lines indicated.

. Mr. H. F. O'Leary, who represented the accused, said, it was quite true that Peard bought Partridge's ■ furniture for £72 10s. After that he had an opportunity of leasing the house in which the furniture stood. He. took the house and moved into it a quantity of his own furniture, removing, at the same time, about half the furniture bought from Partridge to the mart of the company by which he was employed. The balancn of Partridge's'furniture he kept, paying into the firm's account the cost of that portion of the furniture, plus 33^ per cent. When Peard heard there was a suggestion that he had been dishonest he, immediately came from Auckland to Wellington to clear the matter up. While not suggesting' that this was a proper method of dealing, Mr. O'Leary said that clearly thei-e had been no criminal offence. The bringing of a quantity of his own furniture into the house at the-Terrace was, ■'of course, the cause of the great increase from £72 10s to|£22o. ; ■•■' .■ ". '.' (Proceeding.).