LEAVING FOR AUSTRALIA

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 32, 7 August 1923, Page 2

LEAVING FOR AUSTRALIA

GARAGE PROPRIETOR BEFORE COURT. Charges under the Bankruptcy Act were responsible for the appearance of Norman Horace Jury before the Chief Justice (Sir Robert S"tout) and a jury of 12 at the Supreme Court to-day. Jury was charged with quitting New Zealand with part of his property, which, by law. should have been divided amongst his creditors, and with' fraudulently removing part of his property. Mr. P. S. K. Macassay appeared for the Crown, and the accused, who pleaded not guilty, was represented by Mr. A. M. Cousins.

The case for the Crown, as outlined ' ( by Mr. Macassey, was that the prisoner, who was a garage proprietor afc Lower Hutt, incurred debts amounting to £3000. In May, 1922, he was sued for debt, and in June of the same year a bankruptcy notice was served on him. Without any notice, the prisoner, on 19th' July, '1922, sold his business' for £500, and left for Australia. He was arrested in Brisbane, where he was working under the name of Harry Jonea. and on his arrest he offered pay bactc the £500 in weekly instalments of £1. Evidence on these'lines was called by the Crown.

On behalf of the prisoner, Mr. Cousins, in his .address to the jury, urged that the evidence was not sufficient to show beyond doubt that Jury, had been guilty of offences under the Bankruptcy Act. ■ ....

The prisoner, in a statement from tha dock, attributed his failure in business to the fact that he started with too little capital, and had had to contend with misfortune.

Jury was found guilty on both counts, and was remanded till Saturday for sentence. '