STOLEN MONEY

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 21, 25 July 1933, Page 11

STOLEN MONEY

FORGED LETTERS

WIFE ABETS HUSBAND

(By Telegraph.—l-Tess Association.) AUCKLAND, July 24. The theft of £201 10s by a bank clerk, and a plan to steal £728 13s, wero described before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., in the Police Court today, when Jack Eric Kobinson, aged 22, and his wife, Kathleen Marjorio Kobinson, aged 21, appeared on a number of charges. The accused 'were arrested recently at Gisbornc. Robinson was charged with stealing £201 10s, tho property of the Auckland Savings Bank, on June 28, 1932, and with attempting to steal £728 13s, the property of tho Savings Bank, on October 4, 1932. His wife was charged with aiding and abetting him in tho commission of the offence of attempted theft. Both were charged with the forgery of a letter addressed to tho manager of the Bank' of Now Zealand in Symonds Street, one addressed to tho manager of the Dominion Road branch of tho Auckland- Savings Bank, and a third purporting to be signed by an elderly widow. Tho manager of a suburban branch of the bank said that Robinson had access to all the. records and specimen signatures. On June 2S, 1932, a man presented a withdrawal slip for £201 from the account of a depositor named Alexander. It was discovered that Alexander had not authorised the drawing of tho money, and that tho passbook presented by the man was one obtained from stock and written up so as to make it appear that it was a new book issued to Alexander. When questioned the accused denied all knowledge of tho theft and repeated the denial he had made when arrested, on July 8, but ten days later at the Police Court he said he would bo pleading guilty to the charge concerning the £201. Detective-Sergeant Doyle gavo particulars of an interview with the accused at Gisbornc, Kobinson saying that he knew of the theft from Alexander's account, and that ho was a party to tho offence. Kobinson was interviewed further about letters purporting to come from an elderly woman with an account at tho ' Dominion Road Bank, witness continued. Kobinson said that he- used influence on his 'wife, who was single at tho time, to get hor to write letters. "I used extreme persuasion to make her do it, as a primary movo in placing tho money in tho account under my con-; trol," Kobinson said in a statement read by- Mr. Doyle. "I could immediately see by tho action of the toller and tho staff of,tho Bank of New Zealand that the plan had miscarried." Witness added that the female accused, when interviewed about the account in the name of tho elderly woman, said: "I opened the account and I will tell the truth about it, ior I do not want Robbie to get into trouble." She stated that she took no part in obtaining £20110s from Alexander's account, Mrs. Robinson stated further that she was married on November 25, continued tho witness. When the account was opened the two accused were contemplating marriage. "Wo woro without money," Mrs. Robinson said, "and my husband and I decided that if wo sue-' coedod in^getting this money wo would get married and use it to get Honie. I suggested leaving New Zealand when wo got the money."'